Sapphire
by Aftersun
Summary: Rena Sayers must become an Otome and a find a cure that has struck the Black Valley. However, a journey of self discovery soon sidelines her original mission and the Aswalds are sent as a reminder that she has a job to do. [Otome, AU]
1. Dreams of the Future

**SAPPHIRE**

**01:** Dreams of the Future

She was perhaps the most talented, most brilliant student to enter the prestigious Otome academy of Garderobe. Her voice was soft and enchanting, capable of soothing the most suffering of hearts. She was also exceptionally beautiful, which complimented well with her academic and fighting abilities, but that was only a bonus to her outstanding character. Caring and compassionate to all, she was loved and respected by all. Regardless of where they came from and who they were, the girl had the hearts and minds of everyone who knew her. When she walked – and she walked in a graceful manner rivalling that of royalty – she drew the eyes of everyone in the room. When she spoke in that soft voice she was capable of quieting and healing the wounded hearts, the loss dignity. She was also capable of speaking in a strong, sharp tone, enabling her to lead and command people who may or may not know her. Her eyes could make one's heart flutter at a single glance; it could make one smile through humour; and it could also strike fear into the enemy that stood before her.

One of the village elders of the Black Valley had only needed one look of the girl to know what she would grow up to be. She had been spared from the disease that had stricken everyone; a disease so terrible to have them essentially crippled for life. This was an act of miracle and in turn she had become their saint. Even at the tender age of six years old the young girl was already under a strict training regime. Discipline and a strong, excellent work ethic had been instilled in her since birth. Everyone had a helping hand in the growth of this magnificent girl. Destiny had a great many things planned for her and no one was going to let the chance slip away. She had become the Valley's daughter – she was their hopes and dreams. The beautiful girl with long, flowing black hair and deep blue eyes carried the future of the Black Valley on her shoulder. Standing unfazed outside in the scorching heat, under the boiling sun, the fourteen-year-old Rena Sayers had come to accept her mission in life. 'Serve honourably, dutifully, and when you are done, return home and aid in the cure of this disease,' the elder had told Rena a few days earlier. She nodded, accepting her mission as saviour of this warrior society.

The Aswald were proud and honourable people, but they had been marginalised and labelled as bandits and a threat by the larger, wealthier nations. Such nations as Windbloom and Aries saw the Black Valley as a brewing ground for future mercenaries and not as the poor, desolate home for an unfortunate group of people. They were misunderstood and left to fend for themselves. No one dared to venture into their territory to offer assistance. No, the Aswalds were very much alone. It was no wonder why they had to lend their services to other nations wherever possible. In order to gather resources and keep their small, independent nation afloat, the Aswalds had to sell their services and do whatever job they were paid to do without a moment's thought to right or wrong. It was this that had Windbloom calling them mercenaries, but what else were the citizens of the Black Valley supposed to do? People in Aries and Windbloom enjoyed a comfortable life where placing food on the table was not an everyday problem. The citizens of the Black Valley lived on a day-to-day basis. Rena had grown up living in this poor nation, struggling to carry on the dreams of her people while fighting to survive. 'You are the light at the end of this tunnel, Rena. You are what this Valley requires to become a better place. Never forget the people who have helped you, and never forget to help those who need it, regardless of their origin,' advised her ailing father when she had turned twelve. Her father, once a strong man, died days later in their house – a small candle-lit chamber of a cave in the Valley that was only big enough to fit the two. She would never forget her father's words.

As part of the warrior society and being designated as their saviour, Rena underwent long, relentless training sessions that were equally ruthless and rewarding. Some days she would come home – under her own will, of course, as requesting help was frowned upon – heavily bruised and bloodied, but her honour and dignity remained intact. Her body adapted to the extreme training regimes and became stronger. Her mind became sharper, able to react at an instant's notice, and became her most powerful weapon. She became a cool, calculating fighter that was able to change tactics fluidly without pause in an ever changing environment. Upon arriving in Windbloom, the fourteen-year-old Rena had breezed through the initial physical fitness examination needed to become an Otome. However, merely applying to the academy was a grand feat in its own as it was fraught with difficulties. As the Black Valley and the Aswalds were not looked too kindly upon by Garderobe, or Windbloom for that matter, Rena was unable to state it as her nationality on the application form. Luckily the world and its citizens did not think alike, for a kind family from Windbloom offered to take her in as their adopted child. Tuition fees would be the responsibility of the Black Valley, but the family would provide the prospective Meister with a home to stay for the duration of her academics at Garderobe. The decision required no hesitation at all. The Aswalds accepted the offer immediately and agreed to double their efforts in order to pay for Rena's tuition. _I won't fail them_, Rena thought decisively, knowing failure was never an option.

The plans had been set and she was ready to leave her people for the first time in her life. She stood on a cliff overlooking the expansive desert, knowing she would cross that soon enough to travel to Windbloom. Normally the Aswalds would tell her to go and let her survive on her own, but this situation was quite different. They wanted to know that Rena had arrived at Windbloom so escorts had been assigned to her. Rena took a deep breath in and made her way back down to the people that had cared for her since birth. Despite its rather empty and poor look, Rena loved the Black Valley and knew she would miss it sorely while she was gone. She would miss the searing heat of the day, the burning sand between her toes, and her family that was everyone in the Valley. Though she would make friends in Windbloom, Rena knew she was only going to live a lie and pretend to be someone she was not. Her "friends" at Garderobe would be led to believe that Rena Sayers was from Windbloom and that her biological parents had died when she was young, not by some disease but by natural causes; that the girl had come from a modest family living in a modest house, and not from a poor family living in a small chamber of a cave. It would be a major shift but the girl was ready to make the necessary changes.

Rena entered the chamber that was her room and packed what she would be carrying with her across the desert – water and food to last several days. The family in Windbloom said they would provide the girl with clothes and food for the duration of her stay – clothes most importantly as she had to blend in and not stand out – but there was no telling how long Rena and her escorts would be in the desert. Nature would determine the speed at which they travelled, and if Nature was kind then the weather would be tolerable and cool. With the small bag filled, Rena stood up and sighed, taking one last look around the dimly lit room. She would be gone for at least two years and perhaps longer if she was given a Master right away. _Never forget where you came from. Never lose sight of your goals._ The words echoed in her head constantly. Throwing the bag over her shoulder, Rena left her room, never once looking back at the life she would leave. Some of the adults looked at her with pride, tears swelling in their eyes, and the children stopped playing, watching as the girl, which they had heard about from their parents, leave and commence her historic journey.

'So you're ready for this?' asked a voice from outside the entrance.

Rena turned to face a boy with black hair and piercing emerald green eyes a few years older than she. His face had been worn by the disease and the sands of the Valley. Though it was rugged and lined displaying age beyond his years, inside he still retained his youth. The boy was a tall and imposing figure, strong and loyal to the Aswald ethos. 'Oh, hello Reito' said Rena, greeting the boy. 'Have you come to see me off?'

The boy named Reito grinned, replying, 'No, I've come to escort you to Windbloom.' Seeing the look on Rena's face, the boy replied, 'It's a test, they say. If I can do this then I get to proceed further in my training.' Although the citizens of the Black Valley grew up with a strong fighting background, there was a select group that was responsible for the defence and support of the Black Valley. This select group was the Aswalds, the Knights of the Black Valley. Reito had been groomed since he was a child to become a member of the Aswalds, and Rena, who had been something of a childhood friend to him, knew the sacrifices and hard work he committed to reach his goal.

'Good luck, Reito,' said Rena, 'I really hope you make it.'

He grinned, looking at her with an odd expression. 'You make it sound as though I'm going to fail,' he said, feigning a hurt look. 'Of course I'll make it,' he added, beaming at her.

The escort party of five, including Reito, met Rena at the entrance of the Black Valley. Many of them were prospective Aswalds while others were simply trained fighters. They carried an assortment of weapons from swords, staffs, and rifles, as well as fragmentation grenades. The leader of the escort – a bald, barrel-chested man with faint green eyes and a thick sandy moustache – gave Rena a brown cloak and told her to put it on. 'This is to make sure no one can recognise you if we are spotted,' he said before they set off. 'Also, don't forget to cover your face. The winds are going to be pretty heavy.' _Looks like Nature isn't going to be on my side_, thought Rena as she watched the blowing winds kick up a small sandstorm outside of the Valley. Everyone wrapped their face with a scarf or some strips of cloth, goggles or sunglasses covering their eyes, to keep the sand out of their face. It would be a long walk but there was no alternative method. Rena had to be snuck into Windbloom where the family would pick her up and take her the rest of the way. 'You got everything you need?' asked the leader of the escort. Rena nodded. 'Alright then, let's get moving. We'll try to make it to our first checkpoint before the sun sets.'

As Rena left the Black Valley she turned to look at her home and the people who helped raise her one last time. She did not cry because that was not in her personality, but her heart never felt so heavy. Through the tinted lenses of her goggles, Rena looked up at the bright blue skies and wondered to herself, _Where am I going to be in five years' time?_ Five years seemed like an eternity; she did not dwell on the matter for long. As the group of six began to march across the wide open desert towards Windbloom under the intense heat and strong winds, the villagers of the Black Valley watched their hopes and dreams unfold. There went Rena Sayers to Windbloom to become an Otome.

Ω

Travelling across the desert took three full days. One thing she learned while traversing across the expansive desert was how much she hated the sand. If she did not hate it before she hated it now. The temperature was horrible to say the least. The heat was beyond anything she had ever experienced despite growing up in the Black Valley. The hot, humid weather allowed for the sand to stick to her exposed skin. Though the cloak she wore did well in covering her identity, it did not actually _cover_ her. Like everyone in the party of six, sand found a way to stick to their skin, creep into their mouths, and blind their eyes. As they walked under the heat, Rena sometimes felt she was going to throw up sand instead of her lunch. The heat began to get to her – she could no longer tell the difference between reality and hallucinations. Mirages were a constant and she sometimes found herself mindlessly walking towards something that was not there. Luckily she he had the assistance of her escorts or else she would have gotten lost several times along the way. Reito simply laughed each time they found her wandering away in the wrong direction.

The schedule the group followed was strict and gruelling. She would wake up early, eat, and walk for six hours, taking short breaks in between. After six hours they would have their lunch and walk for another six hours. Then came supper, more marching, and then a quick, short sleep. On the final day her legs began to wear out but Rena kept pushing, tapping into her reserves and made the final distance. Far off in the distance were the reinforced walls of Windbloom. The easy part was now over: they had located Windbloom. Now came the tricky part where Rena had to be smuggled into the guarded nation. Sentries patrolled the walls, staying in their guard towers or walking along the walls; they could see anyone coming during the day for kilometres out. The only hope to enter Windbloom was by night. The leader of the escort left Rena in Reito's care while the rest of the team scouted for an entrance into Windbloom. Making a fire to keep warm during the night was out of the question as that would reveal their position to the sentries, so they resorted to staying close and exchanging body heat. Under the moonlit night, the two leaned against each other's back, feeling one another breathe, and did their best to stay warm. Despite being wrapped in several layers of clothes, Rena could not help but shiver.

'Feeling a little cold?' asked Reito, baiting her. 'I think the heat's getting to your head again.' She could not see his face but she knew he was grinning.

'Don't laugh at me,' retorted Rena indignantly, hers arms wrapped across her chest. They remained quiet for some time, both of them shivering in the cold desert. With her scarf no longer covering her face, Rena could see her every breath before her eyes. An awkward silence fell between the two with none knowing what to say. 'So I guess life will be the same as always when you return?'

Reito shrugged. 'I suppose so,' he said slowly. 'I mean, is there a reason for it to change?' He paused for a bit and added. 'Well I suppose the only change will be you not being there. I think everyone will notice that.'

'Please, don't make me miss that place more than I already am,' said Rena heavily. 'How's Midori and Yohko?'

The boy was not easily thrown off by questions, but this materialised out of the blue and took him by surprise. She felt him react in shock, opening and closing his mouth without a response ready. Rena enjoyed putting Reito on the spot. Finally forming an answer, the boy replied defensively, 'They're okay, why?'

'Just wondering,' she said airily.

Rena waited for Reito's reaction. At first he remained seated, though he was shifting uncomfortably, until he finally stood up. 'Look, this whole _thing_ – yes, it's just a _thing_ – shouldn't be taken seriously. I mean, those two – you know them, right?' asked Reito, feeling irritated. 'Come on, Rena, it's not my fault Midori and Yohko are like that. Do I like them? Yes, yes I do because they are my friends, albeit they're a bit younger than I am. Still, they are my friends.' He walked in front of Rena to gauge her response, his shadow covering her.

'Well if they're your friends then why are you letting them do this to each other?' asked Rena with an air of authority. 'They used to be best friends but now I'm seeing them argue more than before. They're friendship is falling apart over _you_.' Rena never liked scolding anyone, but Midori and Yohko were her friends and she didn't want to see anything bad happen to them. They were a few years younger than she, but they were quite close. Rena knew the two of them were best friends and had developed a crush on Reito, sparking a rivalry between the two. 'If they're your friends then you have to do something and stop this from getting any worse. One of them is going to leave, Reito, and I don't think they'll come back. I don't know who will be the one to leave, but one of them will. Their friendship can't, and _won't_, survive at the rate things are going. Either you do something to stop this or you let it get out of your hands.'

'Well what would you have me do?' he asked exasperatedly.

Rena paused, thinking. 'I can't find the answer for you, Reito. You'll have to solve this one on your own,' she said finally.

Reito's face was hidden in the shadows but she knew he was irritated. He sat back down, his back turned to Rena, and kept watch for the scouting party. The two sat silently in the cold desert for quite some time. Eventually the escort leader and his team returned to the two. They had located a possible route to enter Windbloom undetected. 'To the far east of the port is where we can enter. The guard there is the least concentrated and the location is advantageous to us. We will have to do a bit of climbing but that shouldn't be much of a problem,' said the escort leader.

The group set off immediately towards the walls of Windbloom. The escort leader retraced the same path he took the wall with the group, telling to get down every now and then when he believed a sentry was looking their way. Satisfied that they were still safe, the escort leader gave everyone the all clear and they resumed their trek towards the walls. They were far enough away, coming down a hill, for Rena to see the lights of houses inside the country, appearing like stationary fireflies off in the distance. The towers of Windbloom Castle were visible even in the night. She looked at it with envy, knowing the kind of lifestyle the royal family lived. Did the King and Queen even think outside of the life of others outside the walls of their castle, their nation? Did they understand the suffering the citizens of the Black Valley had to live through with every passing day? Probably not. Rena did not hate them. She did not hate them because they were simply uneducated, not evil. They did not understand the situation outside of their own lives and were merely told lies by their servants. Perhaps, maybe one day should the opportunity arrive, she would try and open the eyes of the royal family and let them see the cold, hard truth.

The party of six spent nearly an hour trying to reach the spot the escort leader had picked out for them. It was to the very edge of the nation where they found a "pathway" – nothing more than a narrow, rocky trail – along the mountains leading into the country. The walls of Windbloom had been well constructed to keep unwanted visitors out, but this little bit had been overlooked and provided Rena with the opportunity to enter the country undetected. Sentries guarded the walls but here there was hardly any, or at least none they had noticed. Reito volunteered to go up first and make sure the coast was clear. It took him a long ten minutes to make the climb; still visible to everyone below, Reito flashed a thumbs up and signalled Rena to come up. She tied the straps of her bag tightly and prepared to venture up the steep mountain. Before making her way up to Reito, the barrel-chested escort leader stopped her and said, 'Please be careful, Miss Sayers. Everyone back home is supporting you.' Rena nodded and gave everyone on the ground a hug. They smiled sadly at the girl, watching her climb up the narrow path.

The pathway was not steep enough where she was forced to climb every inch, but she could not simply walk the distance to Reito. The steps were small and far apart; she had to hold onto anything that provided grip to move up from time to time. Her hands, which were tired and worn at the midpoint, gripped each rock or jagged edge available as she proceeded further and further up the passage. The world beneath her shrunk and shrunk; the expansive desert was viewed much the same way she saw it three days before on the cliff in the Black Valley. She paused momentarily to take in the view before continuing.

Reito was waiting at the top when she arrived. He grabbed her hand and hoisted her up to his side; they sat on a flat landing that allowed them to see almost all of Windbloom. It was a breathtaking sight for Rena. She had never seen the nation before; now she did and she couldn't believe her eyes. The city before her was bigger than what she first imagined and what she saw from a distance. It seemed as though every square inch of Windbloom was occupied with houses and buildings extending to the edges of the large walls. The castle was quite close to them, maybe only a few kilometres off in the distance. Rena could see Windbloom Castle in all of its entirety. She wondered whether the King and Queen were currently sleeping or if they were still awake. She did not see any lights lit up inside so she assumed they were fast asleep. 'Wow, that's so beautiful,' said Rena silently in awe. Reito merely grunted in assent. She turned to look at him. Reito was looking at the city before him with disgust. Clearly he did not have any positive feelings directed towards the wealthy nation. Was it jealousy? Rena did not ask; she was not looking for an argument.

'Well I guess this is it,' she said after a time.

He turned to face the girl soon to temporarily disappear from his life. 'Yeah,' he acknowledged, 'I guess this is it.' They looked at each other for a brief minute before embracing each other. 'Take care, Rena, okay? Don't forget about us back home.' He handed her a white ribbon. She took the ribbon, holding it before her and looking thoroughly surprised.

'What's this?' she asked, holding the white ribbon in her hand.

'Something to remember us by,' he replied.

She smiled sadly. 'Of course I'll never forget any of you guys,' said Rena, trying not to get too emotional. It was a hard fought battle, though. She gave Reito one last hug and said, 'Goodbye. Tell everyone back home I say hi from Windbloom, okay?' Reito nodded; she turned and made her slow descent towards Windbloom. She did not look back to see if Reito was watching her. Looking back, watching her last link to the Black Valley distance itself farther and farther away, was simply too painful. As she went down the side of the mountain, memories of her past played over and over in her head. From the earliest memories of her parents to her last moments with Reito, Rena replayed these in her head continuously. Her heart was heavy as she thought about the Black Valley, but there was excitement in seeing her future in Windbloom as well. Rena made her descent into Windbloom without ever seeing Reito or anyone else who may have been up there. It probably didn't matter as she melted into the shadows of the night so it would have been nearly impossible for him or anyone to spot her.

The descent had taken her twice as long as it did to climb up, but with her two feet flat on the ground she breathed a sigh of relief. She was exhausted from all the climbing and moving, as well as the lack food and sleep deprivation. The group had been on the move since the afternoon and they did not take their regular breaks. Rena went for her water bottle but found it empty. She cursed silently and moved on into the night. Her hand retrieved the map and location of where she was supposed to meet this family. Rena looked for a place that would provide her with an ample amount of light so she could take a look at her map. Though she had practically memorised the map of Windbloom by heart, she still wanted to view it one last time for confirmation. Leaving the mountain side, Rena navigated her way through a thick a forest towards the castle. Rena planned on using the castle as her point of origin and work from there. It would be the longer method of doing things, but currently she did not accurately know her location.

Rena exited the thick of the forest and found herself standing over a small stone bridge spanning over a small ravine. She looked up at the castle and judged that it was probably another ten or twenty minutes' walk. Rena was about to set off when movement in the forest caught her attention. _Crap, I can't run_, she thought suddenly, knowing whoever was coming was very close by.The girl, immobilised, watched as two figures materialised outside of the forest in front of her. A man and a woman, both young, stopped in their tracks and looked at the girl from the Black Valley. It was clear from the way she dressed she was not from Windbloom.

'H-hi,' said Rena after a while.

The couple exchanged looks. 'Are you Rena Sayers?' the man asked suddenly. Taken aback but recovering quickly, Rena nodded. The couple smiled and said, 'Welcome to Windbloom.'

Rena sighed with relief. Relief. The word had a new meaning to Rena Sayers. She was taken in by the family that would support her and was led to her new home. They had been looking for her throughout the night, walking from one end of Windbloom to the other. Rena was glad they had chosen to end their search here or else she would have had to spend the night in the forest. Obviously travelling by day would not have been something she wanted to do, but that did not happen and she was glad. Fate had smiled kindly on her: her "family" had found her. She was now exhausted beyond her capabilities; her legs were giving out and her mind was telling her eyes to close. It seemed like in no time that she was shown to her room at the couple's house. Rena, yearning for a bed for three days, finally collapsed onto the soft blankets and passed out. It would be the best sleep she ever had. The memories of her past had ceased playing in her head. Dreams of a better and brighter future took shape.

Δ

**Author's Note:** Well this is my first chapter of **SAPPHIRE **so I hope it's the least bit interesting. On an important note, I'd like to point out that this is an alternate universe story so nothing told, or will be told, here will follow the manga or anime. There will be some similarities here and there but the story is completely different. The personality of the characters may be similar to their counterpart in the manga or anime, but will not be the exact duplicate. Just as well, I've tweaked the physical appearance of some of the characters (i.e. hair colour) to make it more "realistic" as well as for personal preference.


	2. Living Within the Walls

**SAPPHIRE**

**02:** Living Within the Walls

Was it a dream or did it all happen? It was a dream, was it not? Reito and the escort leader had helped her cross the wide open desert to the walls of Windbloom. The trip had taken three days, did it not? Was it all just a dream? Yes, it had to be a dream. She would wake up and find herself lying in her uncomfortable bed in that small chamber in the Black Valley. The daily chores would settle in shortly after she prepared her breakfast for the young children. The mattress of her bed, as she remembered it, was thin and made of straw. Normally when she awoke her back would ache. Did it ache now? Rena looked for an answer subconsciously. No, it did not hurt. The bed was soft – it was comfortable. Her head rested on plushy pillows; the blankets were thick and kept her warm. The smell of soup wafted into her nose. That delicious soup – she did not know what it was. Did someone make it? Could it have been that old lady who lived across from her? Or maybe it was Yohko? Yohko, that young girl, after all, was quite proficient in preparing meals. A new soup by her? Rena's stomach rumbled; a signal to eat had been sent. The three days had all been imagined after all. No trip had ever taken place. Rena slowly opened her eyes and expected to see the dimly lit chamber that was her room. The chamber had a distinct smell of its own, but this new smell – a wonderful fragrance of some kind – was foreign to her.

Her eyes adjusted to the light in the room – it was bright – and the environment around her, also equally foreign to her. The ceiling and the walls were painted in a warm, light brown colour; a wooden desk to her right, a closet to her left, and an empty bookcase before her. An open window just above the desk allowed the beautiful weather to enter her room. It was nearing the end of summer and Rena knew back in the Black Valley the seasons never changed. Did it change here in Windbloom? She did not know but she hoped it remained summer for the rest of the year; the weather was simply too beautiful. She smiled and it soon dawned on her that it was indeed not a dream. _I'm in Windbloom!_ Rena slowly sat up and looked around. She looked down at herself and realised someone had changed her clothes. Replacing the ragged cloak and the clothes she wore from the Black Valley – caked in sand and dirt, as well as ripped and torn in many places – was a soft, light blue nightgown. Movement and a discussion somewhere in the house caught her attention. Throwing the blankets off, Rena got out of bed and went in search for this new noise.

The house, she soon noticed, had two floors; the noise came from the bottom floor. Walking barefoot across the shiny hardwood floor, Rena did her best to keep quiet. In contrast to the life she lived in the Valley, here everything was clean and kept tidy. The paint on the walls seemed new, the flowers in the vase healthy, and portraits hung perfectly. Rena stopped by a photo of the couple on the wall – she noticed that they did not have a child of their own. _Well the couple did seem young_, Rena thought after a while. She slowly went down the stairs and reached the ground floor. The voice of the man and woman carried to the stairs – the topic of the discussion was food. It seemed as though they did not know what to make. Was it for her? Rena hoped not. She did not want to be a burden to these kind people. From the base of the stairs Rena could see the man and the woman in the spacious kitchen. The man, which she guessed to be in his twenties, had light brown hair and equally light brown eyes behind thin-framed glasses. His wife was quite pretty, Rena saw. She had a mane of red hair and soft green eyes. Rena took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the kitchen.

'I think the soup is good, hon, don't get me wrong, but – Oh, hey there,' said the man as he took notice of Rena.

Rena froze on the spot. She had been addressed and words to respond escaped from her mind. 'H-hi… Good morning,' said Rena after a slight hesitation.

The woman smiled at the girl and said, 'Please have a seat.' She was gesturing at the island where the man was sitting. A bowl of soup sat at the empty spot, which she assumed was hers. Rena nodded and took a seat next to the man. 'We'll have breakfast ready in no time. Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long. In the meantime you can have that soup I prepared.'

'I'm John Waltemeyer,' introduced the man, 'and this is my wife, Cara.'

'I'm Rena Sayers,' said Rena, though these people probably already knew who she was. 'Thank you for taking me in and giving me these clothes –'

'Oh it's nothing,' said John Waltemeyer, waving the issue aside. 'A lot of people these days have too narrow a mind to see the big picture. Personally, Cara and I try to keep an open mind towards everything. We help people who need help; it doesn't matter who you are or where you came from. We do our best to help.' He folded the newspaper in front of him and offered it to Rena – she politely declined the offer. 'When we were asked if we wanted to help someone get into Garderobe, Cara and I were a bit hesitant. You see, Cara's cousin was an Otome and they haven't been on the best of terms. Also, we thought we had to pay for tuition and seeing as we're not that rich, we didn't know if we could help.'

'But when we were told that we didn't have to worry about that, it made things easier for us,' said Cara Waltemeyer at the stove. 'Of course, now we were interested in knowing who we were helping and where this person was from. The man we met told us we were going to help someone outside of the country. Naturally we asked who and where this person came from. We were quite surprised when we were told the answer. First, the person told us that we were going to help a Rena Sayers. He showed us a picture and told us a bit about you.' Cara turned to face Rena and smiled warmly. 'And then there was the matter of where you came from – that there was the real surprise. We expected you to come from Artai or Aries or maybe Cardair. When were told the truth – well, we were quite surprised. We weren't expecting you to come from the Black Valley.'

'People are told lies everyday,' said John, looking pointedly at the newspaper before him. 'Some are more severe than others. Some you can get away with and some you can't. We always knew that the Black Valley wasn't as dangerous as some make it out to be. It's only unfortunate that those in power have twisted the perception of the majority to see the Black Valley as an evil place. It may be true that there are some bad apples, but that applies to every nation. A few bad apples doesn't make the whole basket rotten, right? Well we knew that the "people from the Black Valley were evil" story wasn't true, and we wanted to find out for ourselves.' John Waltemeyer looked evenly at Rena. 'We took you in to help you achieve your goals, Rena, but we also took you in to learn more about your culture and your people.'

It was the honest truth, Rena knew, and she was grateful that they revealed their true intentions to her. Adding to the weight already on her shoulders, Rena would take it upon herself to show these people that the citizens of the Black Valley were not savages and bandits as they were made out to be. 'Thank you for taking me in,' said Rena gratefully.

John and Cara Waltemeyer looked at Rena warmly, smiling. 'Like I said before, we're always willing to help those – _Cara the stove!'_ exclaimed John, pointing at the smoking pan.

'_Oh damn!'_ Cara shouted, quickly turning off the heat and opening the lid of the pan – smoke billowed out and slowly filled the kitchen. Cara Waltemeyer quickly opened the window above her sink to let fresh air in. She looked at the breakfast, ruined, for some time before turning to her husband and Rena. She smiled meekly and said, 'Well I guess we can always eat out.' Her husband placed a hand to his forehead and sighed, shaking his head; Rena simply did her best not to laugh at the situation.

The Waltemeyers decided it was best to go out and eat. Not only would that be a better choice than watching Cara try and make something, but they could also take that opportunity to buy Rena some clothes and show her the city. Rena agreed with the idea and returned to her room, changing into a set of clothes the Waltemeyers had bought for her – a white blouse and khaki pants – struggling with the excitement of seeing the city. She knew it was silly for her to overreact over such a trivial situation, but she had never been outside the Black Valley for her entire life and the change of scenery was certainly most welcomed. John and Cara Waltemeyer were waiting at the door; Rena quickly hurried to their side, ready to see Windbloom in all its beauty. 'I'm ready,' she exclaimed excitedly. The Waltemeyers nodded and opened the door; a blast of sunlight blinded the girl.

She stepped outside of the house and breathed in deeply, taking in the world around her. The skies were cloudless and purest shade of blue, perhaps even more blue than seen in the Black Valley; the wind was calm, seemingly perfect, and the temperature was neither hot nor cold. It was an absolutely perfect day. Rena's focus shifted from the weather to her surroundings. The Waltemeyers' home was a small stucco-walled, red-tiled roof house that looked warm and welcoming; the grass was green and cut, the gardens watered and cared for. The houses on the empty street were similar in design to the Waltemeyers'; Rena saw groups of children enjoying their summer, playing freely without a care in the world. She smiled at their fortune and wondered if the children back at the Black Valley were the same. She knew there was a period in life where children from the Valley could live carefree lives, but after a certain age they were forced to accept the responsibilities shouldered on to them. Playing was only when one had free time, and free time usually came after supper, and after supper usually came rest for the next day's work. Rena knew it to be a vicious cycle but it kept the Black Valley functional.

'I know a good place we can grab breakfast, its close by, but we'll grab the car since –' began John but Rena interrupted him.

'Oh no, that's okay,' she said, 'I can walk. I don't mind, really. I can also take in the sight.'

John looked at her with a worried expression; Cara asked, 'Are you sure? You haven't eaten anything for god knows how long and you must be tired after that journey.'

Rena smiled broadly. 'No, that's okay, I'm fine! I actually get better really quick. All I need is a bit of rest and I already got that. I can walk. It's not a problem for me,' she said, practically bouncing with restored energy.

John Waltemeyer weighed the decisions but finally ceded to Rena. 'Alright, well if you're okay with it then I guess we can walk,' he said.

Rena remembered the look of disgust on Reito's face yesterday as they sat on that plateau looking down on Windbloom. He was never one to be too sentimental and his attitude towards Midori and Yohko could be no finer example. He was not the most tactful person on the planet. He was direct and straight to the point which was probably a good trait for anyone wishing to be part of the Aswalds. Reito was never the one to let his emotions show, which was why his statement last night piqued her interest. Perhaps it was jealousy that he was feeling. Against Windbloom or against her? Did he dislike the citizens of Windbloom for having luxuries and good fortunes that he did not have? Or did he feel a sense of loss and envy knowing that she was going to live in Windbloom for a long time? If that was the case then it would be quite odd for Reito to feel such things as he only cared about protecting the Black Valley and nothing else. Rena did not know what Reito was thinking last night and she had no intentions on finding out. Whatever feelings he had she knew he would overcome them…. Hopefully.

Her mind began to wander and she started to wonder what her friends were now doing back in the Black Valley. Well her escorts still had three days of walking across the desert to do before they reached their home and deliver the news. Right now the citizens of the Valley did not know what happened to the party of six and whether they were successful at delivering her to Windbloom. It was the waiting, the uncertainty, which fuelled people's wildest imaginations. Smiling inwardly, she imagined Yohko, wide-eyed, listening to morbid theories spouted from Midori, assuming they were still on speaking terms. Or maybe Gal was spreading the word that the group had gotten lost in the desert and were now wandering aimlessly to their deaths. Such theories were rampant for there was nothing else to entertain them. Rena knew she once listened attentively to these tales when the hunters would disappear for several days at a time to bring back food for the people. That was before she had been shouldered with the weight of saving the Black Valley and its people, when she had still retained the innocence of a young child.

The quiet neighbourhood slowly changed to the lively central district of the city. Windbloom, she noticed, was a sight lot better than her home. Not only was it much cleaner, but there was also a stronger sense of organisation and freedom. Cars bustled on the main roads; individuals, couples, and families took to the sidewalks as they went about their business on this summer day; and, Rena noticed, there seemed to be an infinite source of energy that channelled into this busy city. The steel and stone buildings were tall, towering over the people. Boutiques and stores lined the roads; large advertisements were plastered against windows and walls where possible to show off the company's products. She saw little children, boys and girls, tugging on the sleeves of their parent's shirt, wanting to go somewhere else or go to some store. Couples, holding hands, stopped before certain stores and decided to enter or move on. Among them were also businessmen and women who did not seem to have any concept of a weekend and continued on with work as though it was any other day.

'Alright, here we are,' said John as they turned a corner.

Perhaps the word "restaurant" was a bit too grand for the small, corner placed food store. It was an ice cream parlour, Rena saw. "MADDY'S ICE CREAM PARLOUR" was its name. A dozen or so circular tables were set up on the large, open corner; a long, wide street inaccessible to vehicles ran down from the edge of the corner to another intersection some distance away. More boutiques and small stores, many of them looking quite fancy and perhaps very expensive, lined the sides of the street. She turned to John's wife and saw her eyes roll in exasperation. Clearly she believed her husband was actually taking them to a restaurant and not a place like this. Rena stifled a giggle and looked at the menu hanging at the front of the parlour with hungry blue eyes. Ice cream was not common in the Black Valley and rarely did she ever get to eat it. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were usually the same in terms of meals served. Unfortunate animals caught by hunters would become food for the citizens; it wasn't the best but they ate what they could get. Selection was not something one worried about when one lived on a day-to-day basis.

'So I suppose this is what you meant when you said "restaurant"? An ice cream parlour?' asked Cara with disdain.

John grinned and shrugged. 'I'm pretty sure Rena won't mind, right?' he asked, looking down at her.

'Not at all,' answered Rena without hesitation.

As the only good restaurant Cara knew was at least another twenty minutes' walk, she agreed, just this time, to eat at the parlour for breakfast. Under the bright skies and cool weather, the three took their seats at a round table. After getting everyone's order, John stood up and went to get their ice cream. There was a line so John had to wait his turn, which Rena hoped would be soon. She sat at a table nearby with Cara; Rena's stomach yearned for that cold strawberry flavoured ice cream. Deciding to make conversation, Cara Waltemeyer asked, 'So how long did it take you to get to Windbloom? You looked pretty beat up when we found you. We don't exactly know where the Black Valley is so… You didn't travel alone, did you?'

Rena shook her head. 'No, I had five escorts that helped me,' she answered. 'It took us about three days to get from where we were to Windbloom.'

'_Three days?'_ asked Cara, flabbergasted. 'Really? _Three days?_'

'Yes, three days, but it's not so much the distance that gets to you, but the heat,' said Rena, recalling her arduous experience in the scorching desert. 'In the day the temperature can burn your skin if it's exposed for too long and it makes you see things. Mirages and the like – it plays with your mind. But that's only half the battle because you also have to deal with the night. When the sun goes down then so does the temperature. That's not an entirely good thing, mind you.'

Cara frowned. 'Oh? It's not?' she asked, looking at the girl quizzically.

Rena brought her lips to a line. 'You see, the desert gets really hot in the day, but it also gets really cold during the nights, sometimes freezing temperature. During the day we took off the excess clothing we can spare, but during the night we put everything on and try to stay warm.' Simply thinking about the cold nights sent a chill down her spine. Even the cloak and three layers of shirts failed to keep the cold out. 'Well, the smart thing to do is to find a big rock and lie on it.'

'Why is that?'

'Because rocks keep most of the heat it absorbs during the day so it warms you up at night,' explained Rena. 'It might not be the most comfortable thing to sleep on, but it keeps you warm so you don't freeze.' Rena did not want to sound as though she was looking for sympathy, but she was simply telling the truth as she experienced it. 'But we've – that is, me and the citizens of the Black Valley – know how to deal with it so it's nothing new.' She tried to brush the matter off as something trivial and not worth discussing, but Cara wanted to know more.

Cara Waltemeyer leaned over the table, her soft green eyes piercing into Rena's deep blues. 'It must have been quite a challenge to travel across the desert,' said Cara in awe.

'It was a long journey, but I think it was well worth it to be able to come here and be with you people,' replied Rena diplomatically, trying to pick her words carefully.

'How does your family feel about this?' asked Cara.

Family? Her parents were both dead. Rena's mother had died giving birth to her, and her father had died due to the disease that had struck everyone in the Valley. Could she tell that to these people? Did they already know? _Probably not if Cara is asking_, thought Rena. She had no memories of her mother, only photographs and stories told by the elders. It was amazing how much Rena looked like her mother. Sifting through the photographs, her mother seemed like an older version of her daughter, except she had deep brown eyes instead of blue. Rena was told that her mother was a soft, gentle woman who, much like her daughter, did her best to help others. Though she was not shouldered with the responsibility of finding a cure for the disease that was in everyone, Rena's mother was always finding ways to prevent the disease from spreading, by finding means of inhibiting its growth process. Growing up Rena felt guilty of her mother's death as she likely would not have died if there had been no baby. 'Your mother was already sick,' said Rena's father one night. 'She already knew what was going to happen to her. I think – no, I _know_ – she wanted her last act before death to be your birth into this world.'

Rena's father was the only family she ever knew. Her relatives had all died or disappeared in one way or another. She had no cousins, had no uncles or aunts, or any grandparents for that matter. If she did then she was never told and it would be unlikely that she would ever find out. Rena grew up without a mother, which should have been a painful experience some said, but Rena would never know as she did not know what motherly love meant. She assumed it was the same as fatherly love, but perhaps the principles and values instilled by her mother may have been different. Regardless, her father was her family and that was all there was to it. He woke up early in the morning and dedicated himself in serving the Black Valley proud. He retreated at night when his job was done to tuck Rena into bed and read her a story should time permit. He did everything he possibly could to ensure his precious daughter would enjoy a "normal" childhood. When he died Rena never felt more alone in her life. She remembered the weeks that passed where life was a complete hell for her. Thankfully the people of the Valley came together and helped her move on as everyone did when someone died.

Thinking about her parents always tugged at her heart. It was painful but also pleasant to remember her mother and father. Her thoughts had taken her away and it was Cara who was trying to bring her back to the discussion at hand. 'Rena?' asked Cara after several attempts to snap Rena out of her reverie.

'What? Oh, sorry, I must have been…,' began Rena but she simply mumbled the end.

Cara looked at the girl apprehensively but did not pursue the matter further. 'Well here comes John with the ice cream,' she said, looking up and seeing her husband.

'Vanilla for my good wife –' John placed the vanilla flavoured ice cream bowl, which was a rather big one, before his wife '– and here's strawberry for Rena,' he said, placing it before her. Rena looked at the glass bowl with apprehension of her own; she loved ice cream but she wasn't sure if she was capable of finishing the eight scoops given to her. 'Sorry, apparently they only come in one size,' said John apologetically after noticing Rena's look.

Rena smiled feebly at the bowl of ice cream and said, 'That's okay, I'll manage.'

The spoon lying on the table gleamed in the sunlight. Rena picked it up and scooped a spoonful of strawberry ice cream, looking down at it with hungry blue eyes. The first bite nearly froze her over as she was not used to eating something so cold. Her eyes closed instinctively after biting into the ice cream, a chill immediately shot down her back, a brain freeze, and then it was all over. She tasted the strawberry in her mouth, savouring the good, fruity taste and smiled at the Waltemeyers. They showed their amusement at the matter and did their best not to laugh.

'You okay there, Rena?' asked John, smiling humorously.

Rena nodded, smiling, and replied, 'Its a little cold.'

'Just a bit,' agreed Cara with a grin.

Breakfast passed without further complications. Rena knew better to take such a big bite out the ice cream and continued with little spoonfuls at a time. The weather was cool enough so that her strawberry ice cream wasn't a puddle when she reached the base of the bowl. While they ate, John Waltemeyer was throwing around ideas as to what they could do after. Cara purposed that they go shopping and get Rena some new clothes. Although at Garderobe she would have to wear a uniform, Rena would also need casual clothes for general purposes. Rena finished up her ice cream and fetched her pockets for money for her meal, but John interrupted and said, 'You don't have to worry about that. Like we agreed to, Cara and I will pay for your clothes and food so you don't have to worry about it.' Rena nodded but she felt a pang of guilt for not being able to pay for her ice cream.

They stood up from their table and left the ice cream parlour behind, walking down the wide street inaccessible to vehicles. The street was busy like one would expect on a weekend. It was also beautifully designed and Rena was certain it was even better at night. Wooden benches were placed back to back down the middle of the street every good distance, with tall, elegant light posts taking the distance between each set of benches. While John had led the group for breakfast, shopping was in Cara's domain. Despite the length of the street, which wasn't that long to begin with, there was an extraordinarily large number of clothing stores present. An unmistakable groan from John was a clear indication that he had no energy for shopping for clothes. Cara seemed to have been in her element as she was practically jumping from one store to another, expertly advising Rena as to what clothes she should wear. Cara would stand at a distance and observe Rena, who was holding up a shirt or pants, and spend some few seconds in deep thought. 'Yes, that looks brilliant!' or 'No, that just won't do' were some of the remarks Cara made as she fulfilled her duty as clothes shopping expert. She guided Rena through each store and offered her professional suggestions.

'I think you look absolutely _amazing_ in that!' Cara gushed, looking at her with watery eyes.

'They're just clothes, hon,' John pointed out, earning him a venomous glare from his wife. 'Alright, alright, I won't say another word…'

They had visited three stores before coming to this one. It was the largest of them all and Cara promised her husband that it would be the last store they visit as they pretty much acquired everything possible. Rena had only asked for some clothes to last her for the week, but Cara seemed to find that anything less than sixteen different sets of clothes (not to mention underwear) was blasphemy. So here John stood at their fourth destination, his arms filled with bags containing Rena's new clothes, knowing another bag or two would be added to his load soon enough. Cara was practically beaming as she watched Rena, seemingly changed by the clothes she wore, stand before her outside of the changing room, smiling nervously. Rena had exchanged her white blouse and khaki pants ('They weren't matching to begin with,' said Cara, to which her husband promptly replied, 'Cara, you picked those out for her.') for another white blouse with a small golden dragon embroidered over the left breast pocket, and a very dark blue, almost black, skirt that stopped just below her knees.

'You look marvellous, Rena!' Cara enthused.

'O-oh, thank you,' said Rena, unsure of what else to say.

Rena left the store wearing her new set of clothes; John was weighed down with more bags to carry. Deciding that proceeding any longer would be impossible as his hands were full, the three returned back to their home and dropped off Rena's newly bought clothes. The closet in her room was easily filled with all the new items the Waltemeyers had bought her. Rena wanted to repay them but she did not know how. _I wonder how I'm going to take all these when I go back to the Black Valley_, thought Rena as she slid the door of her closet close. She went downstairs to the kitchen to meet the Waltemeyers; they wanted to take her to one last place before calling it a day.

'Well I have one last place in mind we can go to,' said John as Rena entered the kitchen, 'though I'm not sure if you're up to it after Cara's little expedition.'

'That was for her benefit, John,' reminded his wife.

John grinned. 'Don't tell me that also wasn't for you,' he said; his wife simply looked the other way. 'Anyway,' began John, turning back to Rena, 'I was wondering if you wanted to visit Windbloom Castle? They usually have tours scheduled throughout the weekend. We got about four hours until they stop so that's plenty of time to look around. What do you say?'

_A tour of Windbloom Castle? _Rena did not hesitate to answer the proposal. 'Sure, I'll go!' she replied immediately.

They had all agreed to drive to the castle as oppose to walking since the distance was further. Rena sat in the back of the black sedan as John, behind the wheel, drove her and his wife through the central district of Windbloom towards the castle. Rena was captivated by the city, watching as it passed by from inside the sedan. Her face was not pressed against the window but she was sufficiently close enough to draw stares from some pedestrians. It was literally an entirely new world to her. Windbloom Castle, home to the young King and Queen of the nation, towered over the buildings beneath it as they approached it. Rena's eyes were rounds as saucers, looking at the enormous castle, wondering what it must be like to live inside it. The castle seemed to be able to reach into the sky, almost as though it was acting as a doorstep to heaven. Rena imagined standing in the tallest tower of the castle, looking out, and being able to see the entire city and beyond.

As only vehicles belonging to the royal family or government was allowed inside the castle grounds, John had to find a parking space somewhere on the busy streets. It was past midday but the traffic didn't seem to lessen one bit. John squeezed the car between another and found an empty spot that was only a five minutes' walk from the main gates of Windbloom Castle. Getting out of the vehicle, Rena saw that the castle was directly in front of her, separated only by a few intersections. It was as though she had stepped into a surreal fairytale. Much of the architecture of the city was modern by design with a hint of the past, but right here in the middle of the central district was a castle ages old that contrasted sharply with the newly constructed buildings. The Royal Guards were dressed in their traditional, colourful uniforms, but the police officers and military personnel outside were wearing more modern, casual uniforms. _Wow… That's weird_, thought Rena with awe as she approached the Royal Guards. Two of them stood before the open gates of Windbloom Castle, a lance in hand.

'Can we help you?' asked one of the guards.

'We'd like to register for the tour if that's not too much of a problem,' answered John to the guard.

The guard pointed towards a white tent not too far from where they stood. 'You can sign up there. I believe the next tour will begin in about ten minutes,' informed the Royal Guard.

John nodded, saying, 'Thank you.' The Waltemeyers and Rena registered for the tour and bought their tickets, joining the moderate size tour group. Rena guessed that many of these people were tourists from other nations as they were looking equally stunned and awed as she was. The wait was not as long as they believed as their tour guide, a small woman who was probably the same age as the Waltemeyers, came out of the gates minutes after with the previous tour group. She seemed like an energetic woman, smiling broadly and speaking dramatically towards the original group. She concluded the previous tour with a quick speech and took to her new group. They waited to see if anyone else would be joining them but when none did she began, 'Welcome to Windbloom! My name is Annette Robins and I will be your tour guide for this afternoon. I've been doing this job part-time for quite a while now so I'm pretty knowledgeable about the history of this castle and the history of this nation. If you have any questions along the way then feel free to ask.' Robins turned to look up at the castle and said, 'Well, let's get this show on the road people!'

They followed Robins into the castle grounds – many of them stopped and began taking pictures, being sure not to miss a good shot. Rena did not have a camera but her memory was good enough to hold what she saw. The castle was large, that went without saying, but the castle grounds were the largest open, green fields she ever saw. The gardens were simply stunning, the trees were fully grown and healthy, and the open fields appeared as though someone routinely cut it. It was perfect. Robins, who was leading the group from the front, stopped and allowed them some time to take their photographs. 'The royal family has more than a hundred employees responsible for maintaining the gardens and the interior of the castle. Oh there are the maids, of course, but they deal with tasks directly relating to the family,' explained Robins.

'Do you think we'll get to see any Otomes?' Rena asked Cara.

'I assume so,' she said after a thought. 'They're usually around the royal family and important government officials so I think we might just see some.'

It was perhaps the only reason she wanted to come to Windbloom Castle. Oh sure the castle was spectacular and all, but she wanted to see an Otome more than anything else. Although, having stepped into the castle grounds, Rena wanted to see what the castle was like inside. Her mind began to get lost in a myriad of thoughts. How large was it inside? Was it possible for one to get lost? Looking up at the castle made of stone, Rena assumed it would only be too easy for someone like her to get stranded in that place. After the tour group finished taking their photographs, Robins continued the tour and led them down the long stone path towards the main doors of Windbloom Castle. Along the way Robins pointed at a large tree, likely the largest on the castle grounds, indicating that it was planted by the very first royal family of Windbloom. Rena could only imagine how long ago that could have been.

The heavy steel double doors slowly creaked open for the tour group. The interior of the castle, Rena saw, was exactly what she imagined: anything and everything possible. The stone steps turned to marble flooring, which were waxed to the point where she could see her reflection, and red carpet covered the long halls. The ceiling might as well have been the sky as it seemed to go on forever; the walls were bare for the most part except for some portraits and decorations such as a coat of arms. Once again the tour group stopped so pictures could be taken; Robins was busy telling them about the history of the castle but Rena did not listen. There by the hall directly in front of her, standing at the side of her Master as the Master was busy talking to another man, was a beautiful woman wearing an equally beautiful dress. The woman's flowing brown hair fell past her shoulders; her cool green eyes observed the man passively. Rena knew this woman was an Otome. Though she had never seen an Otome in her life, having only been told stories about them, she knew one when she saw one. That was an Otome.

'Rena,' said John, nudging her on the shoulders, 'that's an Otome.'

Rena nodded but she didn't need him to tell her that. The Otome was beautiful. She was so graceful, so elegant, so pure and Rena didn't even know her personally. The Master finished his discussion and proceeded walking down the hall, his Otome always at his side, following him purposefully. Despite being told of her future at a young age, Rena never imagined what it must be like to be an Otome. To her, becoming an Otome was simply a goal she had to achieve for the people of the Black Valley. She had never given it much thought, had never dreamed of becoming an Otome, but now she did. Now, after seeing that woman whose nature was so elegant, Rena knew she _had _to become one. Failure was not an option. This was no longer something she did for her country, but also something she did for herself. _I want this_, Rena thought. _I want to become an Otome_. The words continued to repeat itself in her head. _I want that to be me_. She wanted the duties of an Otome. She wanted to be respectable like an Otome. Seeing that woman disappear down another corridor with her Master, Rena knew from that moment on that there was no doubt in her mind. _I _am _going to become an Otome._

Δ

**Author's Note:** As a heads-up for the next chapter, "Becoming a Meister", it will contain Rena's two years at Garderobe – Coral and Pearl – as well as her graduation ceremony. The chapter will be as long as necessary for me to get the important points across, but I will not dwell too long with her time at Garderobe. The overall plot of this story is not her time at Garderobe and I have no intention on turning this story into a school-based/academic story. I will only write and tell what is necessary and relevant to the plot at hand. Sorry if this move will upset a few of you, but I believe that focusing on Garderobe will only draw you, the readers, away from the actual story.


	3. Becoming a Meister

**SAPPHIRE**

**03: **Becoming a Meister

The middleman of the Black Valley showed up one night at the Waltemeyers' house to deliver the tuition money for the first year – Rena's Coral year. Rena did not see this person as she was busy attending the entrance exam to get into Garderobe. It was not hard, really. The entrance exam consisted of two parts: academics and fitness, both of which she had taken care of with ease. The academics portion had been a multiple choice exam nearly a hundred questions long, testing her on her mathematical knowledge and numerical operations, scientific knowledge, and basic language skills. The exam, taken by nearly three hundred hopefuls, took place inside the large gymnasium of Windbloom University. When the professor, a strict woman with greying hair, on duty said _'Go!'_ everyone immediately went down to work and began filling in the little boxes. While Rena simply paced herself and answered each question without hesitation, she could see and hear others who seemed to be panicking. Rena simply shook her head, feeling some sympathy towards them but knew that at the end of the day it was every girl for herself. As she was told by the professor before the exam began, only fifty of the girls attending the entrance exam would make it into Garderobe. Of the fifty that enter and become Corals, only half of them would become second year students, or Pearls; of the twenty-five Pearls, less than a quarter would become Meisters. It would be two years of hard competition and Rena knew better to let her guard down and slide in the rankings. She was in it to become number one and become a Meister, a full-fledgedOtome.

With the written examination done with, Rena simply waited for the fitness examination which was to take place in three days. At the end of the written exam, the professor had instructed that they all "dress for the occasion." The hopefuls were expected to spend the night, likely alone, in the forest and be able to navigate to a finishing point. This little exercise would test the girls for their navigation and orientation abilities, as well as their mental stamina. The question one had to ask was: How much do I want this? Upon being informed of this little task, the professor then asked if anyone wanted to leave. Nearly half of the girls in the gymnasium stood up and exited. The professor waited for the last exiting girl to close the door and turned back to who was left, saying, 'You will have another fitness and survival exam at the end of your Coral year, only it will be harder. Does anyone else wish to stay for round two?' A dozen or so girls left the gym. Rena never once contemplated leaving the gym, but she did have her doubts when so many of the girls left. The professor smiled – it was an almost mischievous, maybe threatening, smile – and said, 'Well then, I shall see you all in three days' time. Get some good rest in the mean time.' Rena left the gymnasium with the remaining hopefuls, her mind set on that fitness exam. _I survived three days in the desert. I can handle this_.

The professor had told them they only need to bring what was necessary. When asked what constituted as "necessary", the professor simply replied, '"Necessary" is what saves you from the forest. Think about it.' Rena packed her rucksack with all the essential items – water, food, and more water. On the basis that her trip across the desert must have been a bigger challenge, Rena only packed slightly more of the items she had coming to Windbloom. On the third day, Rena stood outside of the Waltemeyers' house dressed for success – ripstop shirt and pants, along with desert brown trekking boots all acquired for her by the Waltemeyers – with a parka stuffed into the ruck for the possible bad weather. She was set and ready to go. John and Cara Waltemeyer came out of the house, looking down at Rena with pride and concern. Cara hugged the girl from the Black Valley and said, 'We know you'll get through this.' It was only one night that she would be away from home, but the Waltemeyers had grown attached to Rena during the previous two weeks. She had essentially become their child.

Rena tossed the rucksack into the trunk of the black sedan and took her seat at the back of the car. The drive to the forest was quick. Either that or her mind had been wandering off again. When the black sedan stopped in front of the forest – Rena had learned that it was the thickest as well as the easiest forest to get lost in – she got out of the vehicle with a clean, cool head and was ready to get started on the exam. As she began walking forward to where all the hopefuls were congregating, John called out from behind and told her she had forgotten her rucksack. Reddening with embarrassment, as well as a bad start to the exam, Rena retrieved her ruck and thanked John for reminding her. Gathering herself, Rena joined the growing group of girls and waited for the fitness exam to begin. Everyone looked equally terrified, thinking as to what may be lurking in the deep forest and whether they would make it through the night. Rena looked up at the sky and saw the clouds darken. It didn't take a genius to know that it was going to rain; Rena removed the parka from her rucksack and zipped it up over her shirt. Rena looked around and noticed only a few girls brought something to wear to protect themselves from the weather. _What in the world are the other girls carrying?_ Rena had to ask, seeing the rest looking at each other with uncertainty.

The professor wasted no time in getting the exam underway. She spoke briefly before blowing the whistle and letting them loose. 'You will complete this exercise in under thirty-six hours. Should you fail to reach the finishing point then you will undoubtedly be disqualified. From the moment I blow my whistle to the thirty-sixth hour, you will _not_ be rescued be any of the staff. If you need help then call upon each other for help. Otherwise you are very much alone.' The speech had been intended on thinning their numbers but it did not appear to work. Rena likely knew why no one left: if everyone was reaching the same checkpoint then everyone would only need to follow each other. That idea, however, was quickly abolished. 'Just so you don't start grouping together, many of you will have a different finishing point you have to reach.' The professor nodded to her colleagues who began to quickly, randomly, hand out the location of their finishing point. 'If you brought a map, because we will not provide you with one, then you will locate that general area on your map. Your finishing point is somewhere in that area.' There was no need to say more as Rena knew full well what had to be done. It would be their job to reach the general area and find the end.

'You have thirty-six hours to complete the task,' said the professor in a booming voice that carried over the wind. 'You may begin –_ now!_'

The whistle was sounded and the hopefuls quickly headed off towards their destination. Rena looked at them with disbelief. What was the point in running off when you didn't have a clear idea where the destination was? Rena along with several others remained at the start line. They retrieved their maps and began locating the general area of their finishing point. Rena used a grease pencil to jot down the coordinates of her location and a possible route to get there. Looking down at her map, she realised there was more rocky terrain to her location than flat surface; she would also have to cross several ravines in order to reach to her destination. The distance looked like it could be covered in eight hours, though the time would have to be adjusted for rest and other unexpected happenings. _Well I better get started_, thought Rena, tucking away the grease pencil into the pocket of her parka. As the girl made her way into the forest, Rena could have sworn seeing the professor giving her a nod of encouragement and support.

If the written exam had given her any concerns, the fitness exam did not. A challenge like this only played to her advantage. She had practically grown up in outdoor environments, and much of her training she received at the Black Valley was like the fitness exam. Rationing her food and water carefully, Rena planned a survival that would last two whole days. By the time the sixth hour rolled by, Rena realised she was well ahead of schedule and that her rationing did not have to be so conservative. She wanted to laugh and enjoy herself out in the wilderness as she always did during her training, but she refrained and carried on with a purpose. Along the way to the general area of her finishing point, Rena witnessed several girls break down in tears and wishing for someone to help them. Rena did not want to stop and waste her time with them, but she could not leave them behind and forget what she saw. Compromising and doing what she thought was right, Rena gave them some food and directed them back to the starting line. The girls were grateful and headed back to the beginning of the course, easily abandoning their dream of becoming an Otome. Rena knew what she wanted and knew it was within grasp. _Only six more kilometres to go_, she thought. Though the distance was likely to be only three kilometres as the crow flies, she had to make adjustments to changes in the terrain and obstacles along the way.

While the fitness exam may have been easier, it was not without its troubles. Rain began to pour heavily after the second hour, thereby slowing her down and making certain paths impossible to use, but that in the end was a minor issue. Perhaps the only real hiccup in the exam was finding the finishing checkpoint. Three girls sharing the same location as Rena arrived to the general area some time after her. They fanned out and began to look high and low for anything that had any semblance to a finishing line. Nothing. No stone was left unturned as they searched the area, but no finishing point was found either. Frustrated, the four girls got together and began to work over a plan on finding the location. They would spread out in a line, covering a certain area and distance, and march across the general area while looking for the point. When the point was found then they would call out to the others and pass together. No one in the group had any plans on backstabbing as everyone needed one another to pass. Rena checked her wristwatch (another courteous gift from the Waltemeyers) and realised they had about seven hours left until the time was up. While that seemed like a sufficient amount of time to find one location, Rena found it was not enough when one had to find the concealed location in a large area.

_What exactly am I looking for? I must be looking for the wrong thing_, thought Rena, frowning as she slowly walked across the forest floor, checking every square inch in her area of responsibility. _C'mon, this shouldn't be causing you this much trouble. What doesn't fit?_ And immediately her eyes focused on a large tree ten feet in front of her. It was not so much the size of the tree that caught her attention, but the odd placements of the bush all around it. Rena did not call for her teammates immediately. She stepped up to the tree and began to search for something, _anything_. Finally she found it. Behind a thick bush was a slight crack in the tree trunk. She pressed her hand on it and realised it could easily be removed, but it was not a task she could do alone. Rena called out for the three other girls and pointed out her discovery. One of the girls – she had golden blonde hair and dark brown eyes – offered to lend her assistance to help move the piece of tree trunk. Rena and the blonde girl got a grip of the opening and pulled hardly. The side of the trunk ripped off, throwing the two girls on their backs, but were helped up to their feet by the other two.

'We found it!' squealed one of the girls in delight.

Upon ripping the side of the tree trunk off, looking inside, Rena saw that several feet underground was an opening like a door to another room. She retrieved her flashlight and jumped to the underground level. Rena had asked the other girls to wait above in case she needed help and had to be pulled up. They were a bit sceptical but agreed; Rena moved onwards alone. The door was wide open but the room, if it was a room, was pitch black. Rena took several steps forward and shone the light beam of her flashlight across the room. She stood in the middle of the empty and dark room feeling utterly confused. _What is this place? Isn't this supposed to be it?_ She felt a sense of panic creeping up on her. If this was not it then they were wasting their time. Making one last examination of the empty room, Rena found a note nailed to the wall reading: "THIS IS NOT THE PLACE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR." Her blood ran cold. She wanted to scream out in frustration, to cry out in stress, at the injustice of it all. Rena closed her eyes and silently cursed her luck and the exam. The note had been left behind to taunt any unlucky sap who came. She ripped the note off the wall, punching the wall with her free hand, and was about to let off a series of expletives when suddenly someone began clapping from behind her. Rena spun around, shining her flashlight on the face, and saw the face of one of the staff members.

'Congratulations, you and your friends passed this course,' said the staff member with a smile.

There was an opening on the other side, behind the staff member. _Another door?_ As she soon learned there was another door, which was very well concealed, in the room that lead to their finishing point. Rena now wanted to curse at her stupidity rather than her luck. The staff member, through small cameras in the room, saw everything. The staff member was about to let Rena proceed on without knowing that another room existed until she found the note. It was not until she began to hit the wall with frustration that the staff member stepped out and decided to be nice to the girl. The staff member explained that the exam had been designed that one _must_ team up with others to complete the course. 'While it is possible that you can reach to your location in the allotted time, you will need a third party to finish it.' Rena, along with the three other girls, passed the fitness exam with five hours remaining. They were told that they were going to get picked up by the professor in a couple of hours. When asked if other hopefuls were coming to this location, the staff member shook her head and replied, 'Everyone else coming here dropped out.'

As they soon learned after the fitness exam, so many people had failed the course that a second run had to be conducted. Rena and the three girls were afraid they had to do it again but were told that it was not necessary. The failure rate had been so bad that the fitness exam was re-evaluated and changed to make it easier for future applicants. However, Rena didn't care about the future hopefuls getting it easier than she did. She breathed a sigh of relief and congratulated herself for surviving the ordeal. The Waltemeyers arrived at the starting line, exactly where they had dropped her off only the day before, and picked her up, beaming at her with pride. Rena was caked in mud and dirt which held them off from hugging her, but not from allowing her to kiss them both on the cheek. John and Cara had prepared a fancy a dinner for her that night and wanted to listen to all the stories she had to tell. Rena wasted no time and spared no details. She had her adoptive parents' full attention for the next three hours, describing each and every minute of the exam.

Ω

Garderobe promptly delivered her school uniforms to the Waltemeyers' house some days later along with the annual fees. Rena noticed that the Black Valley did not raise enough money so she would have to get a job of her own to pay off the rest. Luckily the fees were not due until the second last month of the school year thus allowing her time to find a job and work. With financial issues aside, Rena put on the red and white Coral uniform and looked at herself in the mirror. 'You look fabulous,' commented Cara, smiling. John simply stood aside swelling with pride. They did not have a child of their own, so to have Rena as their adopted child, a student at Garderobe, was something worth taking pride in. Rena's reflection stared back at her with a sense of purpose, a sense of want. Wearing the Coral uniform, Rena knew her goal to become an Otome was another step closer to reality. Although two long, hard years separated her from becoming a Meister, she knew it was all within reach. Her deep blue eyes showed no doubt, no waiver, in her journey to become an Otome. She would do this for herself and for the Black Valley.

The middleman from the Black Valley had returned a few days earlier to deliver some letters of good luck from her friends. Rena gave the middleman a letter of her own addressed to everyone in the Black Valley, telling them she would do her best and not fail. Knowing that she had some sort of contact with her home made her a bit at ease and the task at hand seemed a lot easier. The past few weeks had given her some of the most memorable moments in her life and she knew there were more moments like that to come. However, she felt alone, detached from her friends back home. Though she did not have any close friends, Midori and Yohko, the two youngsters, had been as close as a friend she could want. She knew she could easily make friends at Garderobe, but how smart of a choice was that? Everyone would be competing for the top spot so wouldn't that make them her rivals? Rena decided that such matters could be handled later.

While the "ooh and ahh" factor of Windbloom Castle came from its fairytale features and the royal family, Garderobe, in her opinion, was so much more. Located not too far from Windbloom Castle, the Otome academy took up much more land and seemed like a small town in itself. Students were to remain on school property at all times during the weekdays, and were only permitted to leave during the weekends to locations nearby. For the next ten months Rena knew she would be confined to the small village that was Garderobe. Her only duty in that time was to work hard and simply make it to the next year, and find a job to pay for the tuition. Of course, this sense of isolation from the rest of the city did not make Garderobe any less appealing. Rena couldn't wait to begin classes and start the next part of her journey in becoming an Otome.

'If you need anything, remember you can call us,' said Cara Waltemeyer, turning around from her seat and looking back at her as they parked in front of the main gates of Garderobe.

'We'll also give you any updates on your friends from back home,' said John from upfront. 'Don't worry, okay? You got this in the bag.'

Rena smiled appreciatively and stepped out from the vehicle, looking at the open gates of Garderobe. Students – new and old – were already making their way inside. This time she did not forget to retrieve her luggage, which was nothing more than a black duffel bag filled with her necessary belongings, in the trunk. She received a warm hug from her adoptive parents and bid them good bye for ten months. Rena heaved the duffel bag over her shoulder, took a deep breath in, and marched up the wide path into Garderobe. The path going uphill eventually led to a flat, open ground with benches and small structures. The Pearls, wearing their white and green uniforms, were at ease with their surrounding, she noticed. Well it was their second year so they already knew their bearings. The second year students sat about, talking amiably, and were seemingly relaxed. The Corals, Rena saw, were trying their best to relax but failed horribly.

'We're all nervous here,' said a voice from behind.

Rena turned and saw that it was the same blonde girl that had passed the fitness exam with her. The girl was not alone, though. Another girl with fiery red hair and piercing grey eyes stood next to her. 'Oh – well, yeah, I guess we're all nervous here,' said Rena nervously.

'I'm Eileen Riley – Windbloom,' said the blonde girl, extending her hand, announcing her name and nation of origin. 'This is Marion Weir from Cardair.'

'Rena Sayers,' said Rena, taking the hand, 'I'm from – uh – Windbloom too. It's nice to meet you all.' Eileen gave the girl an odd look but said nothing. Rena worried that Eileen suspected her of lying, but of that she could not be sure without asking and the last thing she wanted to do was alienate herself. Indeed Rena initially felt lost in the sea of strange faces, but to be acquainted with one of the Corals already was a relief. 'So, where do we go from here?' she asked, looking around the campus grounds.

The girl named Marion Weir answered, 'We're told to meet in the amphitheatre in the next hour.' The red haired girl turned around and pointed to an old limestone structure across the campus grounds. 'The professors are going to welcome us and organise us into different dorm rooms I suspect.'

'Hopefully we don't got bunkered with someone intolerable,' said Eileen Riley, sizing up all the Corals. 'I want to make it into my second year, you know?'

'Can't we ask to be paired with someone we know?' asked Rena, looking at the two girls in confusion.

Marion snorted. 'I highly doubt it. They'll likely place us with complete opposites as a test of our will,' said the Coral from Cardair, bitterly. 'You know what? I hear that the rooms can actually house three, so if you're one of those unlucky ones then you'll up with two roommates instead of one.'

'That won't be so bad,' said Rena. 'That means you get more people to talk to.'

The girls from Cardair and Windbloom looked at Rena as though she was out of her depth. Rena, who did not want to draw attention and alienate herself, seemed to be failing at keeping a low profile. _Note to self_, she thought, _keep mouth shut next time_. She smiled feebly at the girls, revealing her innocence at the new world once again. Marion Weir rolled her eyes whereas Eileen Riley shrugged and said, 'Well we'll see how our luck runs. C'mon, let's head to the stadium. I want to get good seats for whatever is coming up.' The three girls, with their luggage in hand, marched off towards the limestone amphitheatre for the start of a journey that would span two years.

Ω

The two years passed relatively quickly for Rena. In fact it seemed to have passed in a blur. It was true that Garderobe likely held the most important memories in her life, but the experience seemed so unreal that she felt a sense of detachment from reality. The ten months at Garderobe, away from the thick of the passing world, had changed many of her views. Though she secretly wrote back to the Black Valley whenever she could, she soon found the task to be a bit of a chore. Becoming an Otome took priority over anything and everything in her life. Her mind was always set on staying one step ahead of the competition in her class. Rena found herself working harder than anyone, which finally paid off when she was listed as the number one Coral, as well as the designated number one Pearl (earning her a spot with the Trias). Not simply academics but in life as well. Rena found a part-time job with the royal family, mainly keeping the vast green fields in good condition. The job had long hours but the pay was better than she could have hoped. Suddenly paying for her tuition seemed a lot easier, and one of the great obstacles of her dream had been bypassed.

Despite being one of the best in the entrance exam, Rena found that the competition in her class was a lot harder than she had predicted. Clearly those who had passed the entrance exam were of exceptional calibre, forcing the girl from the Black Valley to step it up a notch. It only took her a couple of days in class to realise she could not barrel through the year alone without any help. As luck would have it, Rena was given the same dorm room as Marion Weir. Rena soon learned that she and Marion were more than polar opposites. Marion was always bitter and a cynic, but she complimented well with Rena's determined but seemingly innocent view to life. Though it took them several weeks to listen on the same frequency, the pair soon became contenders for the number one spot in the class. The year finished with Rena being the first in the class with Eileen and Marion right behind her. Eileen had been bunkered with 'some girl that probably doesn't even know why she's here.' Despite this little setback, Eileen performed excellently in class and during sparring lessons.

The whistle would blow and the two Corals would have at it. Rena's gruelling training in the scorching desert paid off handsomely. Though she had been beaten several times, Rena won more matches than anyone in her class. Not only could she take a hit or two, she was capable of dishing out the damage when the situation called for it. Their professor was often forced to keep the girl from the Black Valley from sparring until every pair had gone; the professor would then pick the best fighter of that day to fight Rena. Sometimes the opponent won, but almost always they lost. The weeks without training had left her rusty, but throughout the year her skills were back to where it had once been. She was able to adapt fluidly to the changing battle, reading the mind of her opponent and sometimes correctly interpreting their move in advance. This often frustrated her partner to the extent where they simply gave up. Rena often felt guilty for winning the matches with ease but her professor simply said, 'Just keep doing your best. If you start letting up now then they won't learn to push themselves.' Perhaps the only real challenge came from Eileen Riley who could, on occasion, match Rena blow for blow. However close the battles would be, though, one could often predict that the winner of the match would be that strange girl from Windbloom.

The final exam of the year was similar to the fitness exam as the professor, who Rena came to know as Miss Maria, had said. 'This one will be similar to the fitness exam you completed prior to attending this academy, but it is also different in many ways,' began Miss Maria, looking at each student sternly. 'You will be assigned a partner and you will work with your partner to reach all your designated checkpoints. Should you fail at completing your checkpoints then you will be disqualified. Should you cheat in any way – and we will find out – you will be disqualified as well as removed from this school. You will do all you can to survive in the wilderness and complete your task. You have seventy-two hours but do not forget this: whoever finishes first will have that reflected on their overall grade at the end of the year. Good luck ladies.'

The exam was held in a thick forest – much thicker than that from Windbloom – in the Aries Republic. Unlike the exam they had gone through at the beginning of the year, the final exam of their Coral year only allowed them to carry a certain amount of food. This meant that much their food had to be scrounged from the forest, further testing their ability to survive out in the wilderness. Marion voiced the opinions of many when she bluntly said, 'This is the stupidest test ever.' Rena did not comprehend what Marion meant when she said the exam was "stupid" as she had lived this through many times back at the Black Valley. Of course no one knew about this so Rena simply went with the majority, but when the exam was underway she reverted back to the girl from the Black Valley and expertly navigated to each checkpoint with her partner, Eileen. The two of them were able to reach six out of the fifteen checkpoints in one day – an excellent start for the top two Corals. Unlike the fitness exam at the beginning of the year, the final exam was not as troubling at the end. The two were the first to finish the course three hours ahead of Marion and her partner, the second to finish. The weather was also working to everyone's advantage – sunny blue skies without a single cloud to be seen. Rena firmly believed that final exam was the easiest outdoor exercise she ever had to conduct in her life.

'Well that's done and over with,' said Eileen with a grin, leaning against the trunk of a tree and wiping the dirt off her face with a wet cloth.

Their second year at Garderobe as Pearls was similar, but Rena found the biggest challenge was the academics; sparring lessons were no different than the Coral year, except for maybe the fact that they were down to half the number of students. Rena had to juggle her duties as a part-time employee with Windbloom Castle, a member of the Trias, and trying to stay as number one Pearl throughout the second year. It nearly destroyed her mind and body but she survived, coming out of the mess better than she did going in. Once again Marion Weir was her roommate, and once again they worked with each other to dominate their year. Though Rena continued to hold the position as number one, Marion nudged Eileen off of number two. For the most part her second year at Garderobe passed uneventfully and in the same blur that tainted her first year. There were memorable moments, of course, but she could never recall any on hand. When asked through a letter by Yohko how her second year passed, Rena replied, 'I can't tell you for sure, Yohko. Basically it all seemed to have jumbled up and snowballed. Everyday was the same, but it was also different.'

Perhaps the only memorable moment of her second year was the final exam and the Meister's Graduation Ceremony held in the amphitheatre. The Pearl's yearend exam was a lot simpler in terms of goals, but quite a bit more difficult in terms of what had to be done to achieve it. The exam was simple: survive a series of eight consecutive fights against Meister Otomes, where each fight would last ten minutes. 'Well that's easier said than done,' observed Marion when they were told. No one defeated all eight Meisters, or a single Meister at that, but some had survived to the eighth round before getting knocked out. Rena would remember this fight as she had for the first time struck back in anger and was thoroughly beaten as a result. It had damaged her ego, which had built up over the two years, but had taught her a hard lesson.

Bruised and battered, as well as hungry and dehydrated, when the seventieth minute ticked by, Rena was determined to survive the next ten minutes. Rena had adopted a defensive style against her experienced opponents, by striking back only when an opening presented itself. This had probably helped her survive longer than her friends who had traded blows with their opponent, only to be swept aside when the sixth or seventh Meister arrived. Rena held her ground for her eighth Meister, knowing that if she could survive the whole ten minutes then she would end up ahead of everyone else. Her opponent appeared before her and wasted no time in getting the match started. Rena was immediately dealt a punishing blow to the ribs (requiring her to rest for quite some time after) by the back end of her opponent's lance, throwing her to the ground. The next several minutes were a series of painful strikes that left a mark on her for days to come.

However, with each crushing blow Rena felt anger growing inside of her, swelling more and more as she took the brunt of one attack after another. It was the feeling of being defenceless; the incapability of fighting back which fuelled her anger was burning intensely. A cut lip, broken bones, bruises and gashes, but nothing more damaging than a spirit slowly being chipped away. Rena never allowed her growing ego to get the best of her, but in this final fight it seemed to be more prevalent than ever. Her ego dictated her every move, and because she was Pearl Number One she _had_ to survive and win. Later, reflecting on that day, Rena knew that was her biggest mistake. Her ego had told her to strike back and take the tempo away from her opponent because there was no way Pearl Number One could cower without fighting back. So Rena, without waiting for an opening, feeling her anger take control, struck back at the Meister who had years of experience over the Pearl. What happened next was a lesson taught and learned. A strike to the same ribs felled Rena to her knees and hands, and another blow to the head knocked her out for a good several hours.

'You took one hell of a beating, but you finished with the longest time,' said a disembodied voice.

Rena began to come to. Her eyes opened and the blurry faces above her slowly came into focus. Eileen and Marion were smiling sympathetically at their friend. 'I guess I know what _not _to do,' mumbled Rena from her hospital bed, grinning faintly. She was still falling in and out of consciousness.

'Well the good news is that you made it,' said Marion Weir.

'The better news is that you got a week to heal up and look pretty again,' said Eileen with a grin. 'Usually the Meister's Graduation Ceremony is done a couple days after the final exam, but since you took one hell of a beating, I think the Headmistress pushed the date back.'

The bruises and cuts (which could be visible during the ceremony) had healed in a matter of days, but the healing ribs and bones required at least several weeks of recovering time. Rena would have none of it and made do with walking with a slight limp and bad posture. _There's no way I'm missing this_, thought Rena when she was told that her graduation ceremony could be done in private after her recovery. No, she wanted to graduate with the rest of her friends. She had been one of the eight Pearls to become a Meister and she was going to graduate alongside them regardless of her condition. The Waltemeyers would be there and she had even been told, discreetly though, through a letter by the middleman that some individuals from the Black Valley would attend the graduation ceremony as well. This sent a chill down her spine as she suddenly remembered what her original task had been. Meeting Reito again suddenly seemed like something she wanted to pass on.

But the day for the Meister's Graduation Ceremony came and she placed all her concerns behind her. Wearing the Meister's uniform was like stepping into a new world. She felt like a completely different person. Rena viewed herself wearing the Meister's uniform in the mirror prior to walking out under the bright skies for the ceremony: the blue, white, and gold lined dress uniform, which stopped at her ankles, was worn over a white shirt and red tie; her dress shoes were replaced with knee-high, dark brown boots. Rena tied the white ribbon that had been given to her by Reito before they parted ways, to her flowing black hair, which had now grown long and well past her shoulders. As July and her sixteenth birthday neared, Rena had been told by the Waltemeyers that she had grown up significantly since they had first taken her in. Adding to the fact that she had grown a few inches since she entered Windbloom, her skin was fair and her body had grown in terms that would make her blush furiously. Marion, who was usually blunt in her language, said, 'The only girl who wouldn't want your body would be blind, deaf, and mute.'

'Why deaf and mute?' asked Rena, frowning.

'The person must be deaf because your beauty screams "_I'm so sexy! Sexy, sexy, sexy!"_' started Marion, making Rena redden heavily.

'And what about being mute?' asked Rena in a small voice, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Marion looked thoughtful for a minute. 'I'm not too sure, really,' said after a while.

All in all, the graduating student was different than the person they had been coming into Garderobe. They had grown up in those two long years and had learned many valuable life lessons along the way. The eight soon-to-be Meisters were all friends in one way or another. The relationship may not be strong like a friendship between old friends, but the bond was there. The time they had spent together, lived together, and suffered together were shared equally amongst them. They knew each other by name and by the way they behaved. They were no longer acquaintances. They were now friends, but they would also be going down their separate paths. The group would return back to their home nation to serve it proudly, but the bond they had developed would never be severed. It was a moment they would all cherish together. This last day, this last moment together, they would enjoy to their heart's content. It was a proud day for the eight of them. Mothers would openly cry while fathers would try to hold it in; the professors that had been their mentor for two years would see their students off, seeing a product of their skill and teaching ability pay off with great results.

The amphitheatre had been changed for this memorable moment. The arena had been removed of the usual pillars, and the dirt floor had changed to a clean-cut grassy field. A red velvet carpet extended from the entrance tunnel from the stadium leading into the centre of the arena where a platform for the graduating Pearls had been erected; standing to the side of the platform was a podium where the Headmistress would give her speech. Family members and important people were given seats on the arena floor before the platform; everyone else viewed the event in the theatre seats. Along the walls of the arena – renovated and cleaned after the final exam of the Pearls – were the flags and banners of all the nations whose student, or students, was graduating. Garderobe had borrowed Windbloom's military band and had them performing for the Meister's Graduation Ceremony. The King and Queen of Windbloom, along with many other royals from other nations, took their place in the stadium seats set exclusively for them. It would be an event watched by many.

The graduating Pearls, all wearing their Meister uniform, stood inside the dark tunnel waiting to be called out. Cheering from the crowd sitting in the stadium seats indicated that everyone was eager to get the ceremony underway, but the signal would not be sent until after the band played and after the Headmistress gave her speech. The raucous noise above echoed throughout the tunnel; each graduating Pearl looked at one another, smiling, knowing that they had finally achieved their goal. For Rena, leaning against the wall as it pained her to stand upright for long periods of time, this was the moment she had been waiting for since that tour of Windbloom Castle. Rena looked down at the Meister's uniform, feeling the soft but tough fabric in her hands. She would know no other clothes except for this very uniform. Today would be the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of the eight Otomes. Upon "officially" being announced as a Meister, they would be assigned to their very first Master and be given their very first GEM. It was perhaps that alone which caused the girl from the Black Valley to be nervous.

The brass section of the band blared, signalling to the attendees for calm and quiet. From the tunnel the Otomes can see their Headmistress take to the podium and begin her speech. 'We have come here today to bear witness to a group of extraordinary young woman,' began the Headmistress. 'We have come here to see this new generation of Otomes – the servants of peace and democracy, of justice and honour – step forward into the world to which they will serve dutifully without hesitation. For it is without a doubt that we, the free people, cannot function without the aid and the sacrifice of these hard working young women, who have, and _will_, give up so much of their life for a duty they see fit to serve. Many have attended this school to reach this point, dreaming of being here today, but these eight are the very best to have come out. Today I have the honour of presenting you this year's graduating Pearls! Please welcome the future Otomes of your nation!' The cheering was a crescendo, building up in loudness as the Headmistress announced the graduating class.

The eight Otomes walked out of the tunnel, following the red velvet carpet, towards the platform in the middle of the stadium. Each step was a battle of will for Rena as she attempted to keep a straight face and respectable posture, but today was her day and she wasn't about to lose out to some injury. Upon stepping out from the shadow of the tunnel, Rena's ears were deafened by the loudness of the crowd, who were clapping, yelling, and basically making any noise to celebrate the moment along with the Meisters. The sunlight beamed down on the group as they walked towards the platform, the summer weather agreeing wholeheartedly with the situation. Rena breathed in deeply, swelling with immense pride and excitement.

They stepped onto the platform and took their positions accordingly to the nametapes on the stage. Rena, she noticed, stood at the very centre of the platform. She saw John and Cara Waltemeyer sitting in the front row seats. Cara was doing her best not to cry, and John simply appeared too overwhelmed to clearly show a single set of emotions. Rena smiled appreciatively down at them. She wanted them to know how all of this could not have been possible without their help. Her eyes moved from the seats below her to the people sitting in the stadium. Rena looked for Reito or anyone from the Black Valley she knew in the stands, but she might as well have been looking for them across the city as she had no idea where they were or what they now looked like. It had been two full years and only words had been exchanged, not photographs.

'Today these eight young women you see have endured two hard years of work and sacrifice to be where they are,' said the Headmistress. 'Their Master will know no better Otome than these Meisters who stand beside me.' The Headmistress waved an open arm at the graduating Pearls. 'Yes, they are no longer Corals, no longer Pearls. Today they are now Meisters!' A thunderous applause from everyone in the stadium; Rena felt her heart skip several beats. 'Today they will embark on the next chapter of this amazing journey. Their Master will now introduce themselves to their Otome, form a contract, and formally complete the transition from Pearl to Meister.'

Marion Weir from Cardair was assigned to be the Otome of a young, respectable looking ambassador. As the ambassador stepped onto the platform, Marion took a knee before her Master. A box containing the Master's ring and the GEMs was given to Marion by Miss Maria. He took the ring from the box and placed a GEM into the open slot; Marion took her own GEM and placed it into the slot of her ear piece. The ambassador asked if the Otome would accept him as her Master and serve him; Marion accepted and the GEM glowed – the contract was complete. The ambassador gave his new Otome a nod and stood at her side.

Eileen Riley had been assigned to a Chief Warrant Officer Marc Hurst, a strong looking soldier likely in his late thirties. It seemed as though Eileen would not be his first Otome judging by the way he introduced himself and presented her with the GEMs. He was courteous and followed the protocol down to the dot. When she accepted the contract the GEM on his ring and in her ear piece glowed red and they became Master and Otome.

Rena was the last to receive her GEM, but it was unlike any of the others she had seen. It was a necklace, not a GEM, which was given to her. The Blue Sky Sapphire, as it was called, was placed around her neck soon after it was introduced by Miss Maria. The difference from everyone caused the entire stadium to go quiet. Rena did not know how loud the stadium had been prior to her announcement, but now it was silent, not a word said or an action heard. Rena knew she had to take a knee in order to be presented with the Blue Sky Sapphire. Simply dropping to one knee seemed like an impossible task; she did her best to not show any signs of pain. The Blue Sky Sapphire was beautiful, Rena noticed when Miss Maria placed it around her neck. It was not heavy and felt perfect around her. Its very presence seemed to have removed any pain she had been feeling from the injuries she sustained during the final exam. The question now was who her Master was.

And then she saw him. He was young, though mature enough to be her Master, and was dressed similarly to Eileen's Master. Wearing military dress blues, her Master stepped onto the platform, removed his cap, and presented himself. 'I am Warrant Officer Emmett Antilla,' he said, looking at his soon-to-be Otome. Rena looked up at him and saw that he had reddish brown eyes, maybe even crimson, and unruly black hair, which surprised her that it had not been cut. Clearly there was some sort of regulation in the military on the appearance of oneself. Otherwise he seemed like a likeable person. He was neither tall nor big, but somewhat smaller than his colleague though he was not skinny; his demeanour was not too serious but he was not taking light of the situation either. 'Under the power granted by the Blue Sky Sapphire, do you accept me as your Master?' he asked.

Rena felt her mouth go dry. This was it. This was her dream right here. To acknowledge him as her Master would finally make her an Otome. She nodded, saying, 'I accept.'

The sapphire pendant glowed brightly and in a flash two GEMs coming from within shot out into the air – one of them found its place in Rena's ear piece and the other settled into the warrant officer's ring. It glowed blue and slowly faded away. Rena instinctively reached for the GEM, feeling the small sapphire stone, still warm, that had now made her an Otome. Rena stood up after she received her GEM and bowed gracefully – she felt no pain at all – and smiled at her new Master, who, to her surprise, smiled back and even blushed slightly. A snigger. Yes, she had heard someone snigger and it was likely to be either Eileen or Marion. _I'll corner them after this_, she thought. The soldier gave Rena a nod and took his place at her side as the other Masters did.

The Meister's Graduation Ceremony ended with the Headmistress speaking one last time, but Rena's mind was no longer paying attention. The world before appeared different to her. The colours received by her eyes were sharper, brighter; the noise was clearer to her ears; and the smells were distinct. Her sense of touch and taste had likely changed as well. Was it just her mind playing games with her? Or had this transition from Pearl to Meister changed her? Rena felt the Blue Sky Sapphire necklace around her neck, and the GEM attached to the ear piece. If her five senses had not changed, her direction in life certainly did. The attendees roared to life when the Headmistress was done her speech, and the new Otomes were given a bouquet of flowers by the principal. 'Congratulations, Miss Sayers,' said the Headmistress as she gave Rena the flowers. The Otomes, treated as celebrities, waved to the crowd, taking this one last moment to be themselves. The Masters took their leave from the stage, letting the Otomes have one last minute with their friends.

Rena turned to face her Master, but before she could let a word out Miss Maria appeared and said, 'Congratulations on becoming a Meister, Miss Sayers.'

'Thank you, Miss Maria,' replied Rena.

Miss Maria leaned forward and spoke in hush tones, 'You are perhaps the most gifted student to have entered this school, Miss Sayers, but I do hope you remain loyal to your task at hand.' Rena looked at her with an odd expression; Miss Maria continued. 'I have done my part in keeping the matter a secret because I trust that you are loyal to the duties demanded of an Otome, as well as the duties you will perform for Windbloom.' Rena continued to look at Miss Maria quizzically, unsure of where she was going with this. 'Rena,' said the professor, calling the Meister by her first name, 'I will never reveal your place of birth to anyone without permission, but be aware and remember who you are serving.'

Rena froze in place, looking at Miss Maria with wide blue eyes. She was stunned, absolutely stunned. How had she been discovered? Rena had made sure the letters she sent had not been tampered with. In fact, Rena had often met with the middleman directly to receive and deliver her letters. Suddenly her future as an Otome seemed to be in jeopardy. She could already see it slipping away already. All that hard work had been for nothing. Rena, her breathing in quick gasps, tried to retain her composure but found herself failing miserably. 'H-h-how did you know?' Rena stuttered, drawing an odd look from her Master who did not know what was going on between the Otome and the professor.

'Those from the Black Valley have a different genetic make-up than others,' replied Miss Maria knowingly. 'The doctor has done her part in keeping this information a confidential matter. Not even the Headmistress knows, though the doctor has often felt the need to inform her. I told the doctor that those from the Black Valley are not as they are described. I hope that you do not prove me wrong.' Rena shook her head. 'Good then. Very well I shall let you enjoy the rest of your evening. Once again, congratulations, Miss Sayers.' Miss Maria gave Antilla a nod and walked off.

'What was that all about?' asked the soldier when Miss Maria was out of earshot, walking to the side of his Otome, his eyes following the professor.

Rena shook her head, brushing the matter off. 'It's nothing,' she replied, trying to sound as casual as possible. 'She just wanted to wish me luck and remind me that it's all for real now and not something from class,' she lied, hoping to convince her Master.

Emmett Antilla seemed to have deemed the answer good enough and did not pursue the matter anymore. 'I have to go talk to my superiors anyway,' said Antilla to Rena. 'I'll look for you when I'm done, which won't be for a while, so take the time to spend it with your friends and family.'

'I will,' said Rena, nodding, feeling a sense of relief that she did not have to explain herself anymore.

With that Warrant Officer Emmett Antilla left the stage and disappeared into the crowd of people beneath the platform. Rena smiled at John and Cara Waltemeyer in the crowd beneath her and waved them on to the stage. _Can I tell them what just happened?_ Rena turned to Marion and Eileen, who had came to her side, and asked, 'Did any of you guys laugh at me?' She wanted to be the one to start the conversation and not have them ask questions about what the discussion with Miss Maria had been about.

'I was expecting a "Congratulations!" or "We made it!" but I guess an accusation will do,' joked Marion.

Eileen grinned, shaking her head. 'Your Master looks kind of cute,' she noted, seeing Rena's Master near the back of the stadium with Hurst and several other soldiers. 'I wouldn't mind having your –'

Rena held up a hand and quickly said, 'Alright, alright, I don't need to know what you're going to say.' The three girls laughed, sighed, and looked at each other one last time. 'So I guess this is it? Two years and here we are.'

'I never doubted myself for a second, you know?' began Marion. 'But it still seems like a dream just being here. I can't believe we actually made it.'

'This is it,' said Eileen in a voice signifying the end of a long journey. 'This is it; we're done with this place. Two years and now we're Otomes. Two years and now we leave.'

The girls looked at each other sadly, but none was more sad than Marion. Unlike Rena and Eileen who would still be together as they lived in the same country, Marion had to return to Cardair with her Master. No other student from Cardair graduated so she would not have anyone to share the experience with on her trip back home or when she returned to her nation. Though she did have friends back at Cardair, none of them understood what she had gone through at Garderobe. No one except Rena, Eileen, and the five other girls who would soon go their own separate paths. 'You know I'm really going to miss this place,' said Marion in an uncharacteristically sentimental voice. 'I really am going to miss Garderobe and you guys.'

'Don't worry, Marion, you could away write to us,' suggested to Rena in a hopeful tone. 'You'll write to us and we'll write to you. We can stay in touch that way.'

Marion smiled and the three friends shared a hug one last time. 'I better get going,' said Marion, looking over her shoulder at her proud family standing below. 'Hopefully I'll see you two around some time.' With that Marion Weir, the bitter, cynical girl that Rena had lived with for about twenty months, left her side and became the first of the eight Otomes to begin the new chapter in her life.

'Hopefully,' said Eileen in a distant, sad voice. She too saw her parents and decided it was time to part ways, though it was likely not to be permanent. 'We'll I know I'll definitely see you around,' she said to Rena. They smiled at each other but said nothing. Eileen turned and descended from the stage to meet with her parents.

'It definitely has been a long time coming,' said John Waltemeyer from behind.

Rena turned and faced her adoptive parents. _Should I tell them what happened? No, they're probably better off not knowing_. 'Yeah, it has been a while,' she said softly, looking around at the amphitheatre. 'It still seems so unreal to me, though.'

'Believe it,' said Cara, smiling, 'it's real.'

Rena felt her eyes well up with tears but blinked them back. 'You know none of this could have been possible without your help,' she said emotionally. 'I really want to thank you for all the help you've given me in the past two years. Saying "thank you", though, just doesn't seem enough.'

'You know us, Rena. We like to help whenever we can and we won't ask anything in return from you,' said Cara Waltemeyer, stepping forward and giving her adopted daughter a hug. 'Besides, you're here because of your hard work and…' Cara backed off from the embrace and looked over Rena's shoulders. The Meister turned and saw three cloaked figures, but she didn't need to be told who they were. 'We'll give you some time with them,' said Cara, stepping back to her husband's side.

'You don't owe us a thing,' said John to Rena. 'The only thing we can ask is that you keep getting better and become a better Otome.' John smiled and said, 'Well, I guess we'll let you talk to your friends. You haven't seen them for two years so you probably have a lot to catch up on.'

The Waltemeyers left Rena alone on the stage, passing the people from the Black Valley, giving them a nod as they got down from the platform. The three citizens from the Black Valley walked up to Rena; she held her ground, trying to make out the faces underneath the hoods. _So much for keeping a low profile_, she thought as she looked at them. One of the cloaked figures looked around and shook his head – no, this wasn't a good place to talk. The leading cloaked figure pointed a finger towards the back of the stage; Rena nodded in acknowledgement and casually walked off to the rear of the platform.

'So… is that you, Reito?' asked Rena, looking around to make sure no one was listening in.

The leading cloaked figure threw off his hood. Rena's eyes widened more in shock than the feeling of meeting an old friend. His face, scarred and worn even more than she remembered, seemed to have aged several years, making him look as though he was thirty instead of a decade younger. However, it did not seem as though he had any other surprises to show. Reito remained the same person Rena had known him to be two years ago. He smiled and said, 'Well I guess you did make it after all. I see you're wearing the ribbon I gave you that night.'

Rena felt the white ribbon tied at the back and said, 'Yeah, I still have it. It's nice to see you all again, Reito. Who are the other two?'

'No one you know, but they know you,' answered Reito. 'Everyone has been following your progress since you came here; they also read the letters you send home. We're all happy for you, Rena.' He smiled at her but she noticed that it seemed almost forced.

'Well I couldn't have done it without everyone's support and sacrifice,' said Rena diplomatically. 'I couldn't have done it without your help too, Reito.'

She watched his face, gauging for his reaction. Reito simply nodded and said, 'Well we were all hoping to see you come back, but…'

_Bingo!_ So that there was the problem. As she had been assigned to a Master, it was now impossible to return to her home. Not only that, but she would now have to stay and live in Windbloom until her service was over. Reito, who seemed to hate anyone having something he did not, was fighting against his inner feelings of disgust against the kingdom. He forced a smile and played the part, but inside he hated every moment wasted in Windbloom. 'I'm sorry I can't make the trip,' said Rena apologetically, feeling truly regretful to be unable to return back to her home country.

'That's okay,' said Reito, his tone of voice easily betraying him. _Clearly you're not okay with this_, Rena knew.'Well we came to congratulate you and make sure you don't forget what you originally came here to do.'

'Reito,' said Rena, touching the white ribbon around her hair, 'I haven't forgotten.'

'Although you'll be living in this – _place_ –' the word "place" did not seem quite appropriate to use for a nation like Windbloom '– for a while, never forget where you cam from,' reminded Reito, ignoring what the Meister had just said.

This was the first time she had been seriously accused of her loyalty, and the person to accuse her was none other than Reito. It angered her greatly that he did not seem to trust her. She settled a steely gaze on Reito and defended herself. 'Are you questioning where my loyalties lie, Reito?' she demanded furiously. 'For someone who is supposed to be my friend, you sure do a lousy job of being one!'

He opened his mouth to speak but before any word could be said, the voice of Emmett Antilla interrupted the conversation. 'Hey, Rena, I've been wondering where you went,' he said, walking over to her side. He noticed the three figures and asked, 'Is there something I can help you with?'

Reito's eyes fell on Rena; she held his gaze unflinchingly. 'No, everything is fine,' he replied. 'We were just wishing an old friend good luck on her future.' He gave Rena a nod and curtly said, 'Have a good day, Rena.' He flipped his hood over his head and the three cloaked figures walked off. Rena couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and responsibility for whatever was going through his head. _That idiot_, Rena thought in exasperation.

When the three cloaked figures were out of earshot, Antilla asked, 'Okay, so what was _that_ one all about?'

Rena shook her head. 'It's nothing, really,' she replied, though unconvincingly. Once again the warrant officer did not pursue the matter and simply took her explanation, but she knew he did not buy her answer. Rena watched as the three from the Black Valley exited the stadium. This was supposed to be her day of celebration and happiness, but for some reason she simply felt miserable. _That idiot_, she thought angrily. _Really, that idiot…_


	4. Your Job Is…

**SAPPHIRE**

**04:** Your Job Is…

She had learned several things after the graduation; some were useful while some were irritating. Reito and the two other people from the Black Valley, she soon learned after their sour meeting, had left Windbloom. Apparently he had no intentions in settling their conversation and decided to skip town while he could. She rolled her eyes and simply shook her head. Reito was never the one to talk things over and always seemed to take matters too personal. The forced smile on his face was etched into her mind as an example of his one great weakness: the inability to deal with his emotions at hand. His face, though, frightened her somewhat. The disease was taking its toll on him and sooner or later he would have to – she shuddered at the thought – _change_ into something else entirely lest he suffer an agonising death. How many days did he have left in that body? Forty? Twenty? Or maybe ten days? How many days he had left was not certain, but what was certain was that the next time they met – yes, she had the intention to meet him once more – he would be different. Rena looked out the window of the conference room, where she and her Master were waiting for everyone else. Eileen, she knew, would be coming to this meeting.

'We're pretty early,' said Emmett Antilla, looking down at his wristwatch. 'Sorry about getting us here so soon.'

'No, that's fine,' said Rena, turning away from the window to look at her young Master. He was only nineteen years of age, she learned yesterday, but he seemed a lot older than his age let on. Emmett Antilla came from a long lineage of warriors, so to speak. His father had been a soldier, his grandfather had been a Royal Guard, and even his grandmother had served in the military's intelligence division. Being a soldier was the Antilla Way and clearly Emmett was going to continue this long and great family tradition of serving his country. His father, now a general, with all his connections had pulled strings to allow Emmett to enroll at Windbloom Military Academy at an earlier age. There were some disagreements within the chain of command that Randall Antilla was taking advantage of his power, but whatever strong sentiments they had were soon silenced, or subdued, by his son's rather fine record. He was a strong, model student, though he likely could have done better had he entered the academy at the proper and recommended age. The superintendent of the academy did not graduate Emmett as an officer much to the anger of General Antilla because he lacked the maturity and know-how of the older cadets. Instead, Emmett Antilla was graduated as a warrant officer, but should he ever wish to become an officer then he only needed to attend an officer's school. Despite whatever shortcomings he had, Rena saw Emmett as a decent soldier and person.

However, it may have been a stroke of luck that Emmett had been graduated as a warrant officer. The superintendent likely understood that Emmett was a people person, and not the one to do the administrative duties often demanded of officers. Just as well, becoming a warrant officer had one major advantage over an enlisted soldier and officer: the warrant officer was, for the majority, the only group to be assigned an Otome. In Windbloom the Otomes were either serving in civilian postings such as a protector of an ambassador, or they were serving in the military, which was often the case. Not all warrant officers had an Otome of their own, but all Otomes in the military had a Master that was a warrant officer (except for those assigned to a commanding officer, often a captain).

'Do you want anything to drink?' asked Emmett, standing by the pitcher of water, a glass in hand and another one nearby.

'No, that's quite okay,' replied the Otome. She grinned slightly and asked, 'Isn't that supposed to be my job, though? Aren't you my Master?'

Emmett shrugged, grinning as well. 'I believe the Master-Otome relationship can only function properly if the distinction of rank is removed,' he explained, pouring himself a glass of water. 'Well, that was my thesis anyway, and I guess that's probably why the super didn't graduate me as an officer.' She had expected him to sound bitter but instead he came off with a sense of nonchalance. He drained the glass of water and asked, 'Are you sure you don't want anything to drink? How 'bout something to eat? We left pretty early so you didn't have a breakfast this morning.'

His persistence finally got the most of Rena and she ceded. 'Well I guess I'll have something to eat,' she said finally. Emmett tossed her an apple; she had to react quickly to catch the apple as she did not expect her Master to throw it to her. Emmett Antilla, Rena was starting to find out, was filled with surprises. Just yesterday after the ceremony there was confusion as to who should be the one opening the door for the other. Rena went for the door to open it for her Master, but Emmett found it as his duty to open the door for an Otome. Eventually, after some deliberation, it was agreed that since Emmett was her Master he should get into the car first.

'Permission to speak freely?' Rena asked after finishing her apple.

Emmett laughed. 'Speak, please. And you don't have to ask me for permission, you know,' he said, chuckling.

'Right,' said Rena, 'but just to let you know, you're not the kind of Master I was expecting.'

Emmett looked at her curiously, his smile fading. 'Oh? And what were you expecting?' he asked quizzically. 'Maybe someone older? Or maybe someone old fashion? I can only apologise that I can't change my age, and I can guarantee you that I hate being old fashion. Do you feel that I cannot be a proper Master because I lack the experience and maturity required of one? Would you have instead rather served, say, the King or Queen? Mind you, you yourself do not have the experience and maturity as well.' Rena stood by the window, feeling ashamed for asking such a direct and inappropriate question at her Master. It was only the second day since she had been assigned to her Master and already things were starting off badly. Rena pursed her lips and held the cold gaze of Emmett Antilla feeling completely miserable. And then he cracked a smile. 'I'm just messing with you, Rena. It's who I am, Rena. Nothing I can do about that,' he said, laughing. _He was just joking around?_ Rena laughed nervously. 'You'll find that I'm not your stereotypical soldier you see every now and then. Actually, you'll find out that my – _our_ – unit is a bit different than the others.' Just how different was the question Rena wanted to know.

A few minutes later three warrant officers of different rank entered the room – Eileen Riley entered the room at the side of her Master. The two friends from Garderobe flashed each other a small smile and knew they weren't completely alone in this new world. The four soldiers took their seats at the oak table, as did the older Otomes; Rena and Eileen were the only ones standing behind their Master. They looked at each other lost for words, lost at what to do.

'How 'bout you take a seat?' suggested one of the soldiers.

Emmett pulled out a chair next to him and offered it to Rena. She sat down, unsure of herself, and looked around in confusion. 'Things work differently here,' whispered Emmett as she turned to him for an explanation.

'Well let's get started with the introductions,' said the soldier who suggested for the two new Otomes to have a seat. The soldier was the eldest person in the room, likely to be in his late thirties or maybe even his early forties; he had short sandy hair and electric blue eyes. 'Rank, name, and how many years you've been doing this. We'll go clockwise starting with me. Although we already know each other, this is to help our new teammates –' he looked at Rena and Eileen '– get acquainted with all of us,' explained the soldier. 'Chief Warrant Officer Five, Nathanial Connor,' he introduced. 'I'm the team leader of this group, and as of yet we don't have a commanding officer so I also fill that position. I've been serving in the military for just about eighteen years now, and this here is my Otome.' He turned to look at his Otome, a beautiful brunette, her sleek hair tied at the back, with soft brown eyes.

Connor's Otome cleared her throat and introduced herself. 'My name is Irene Tovo and I have been an Otome for twelve years now,' she said. 'I was the Otome of an ambassador prior to coming here.' Rena noticed that she was clearly the oldest Otome at the table, but her age, if she had to guess, was anywhere between twenty to thirty years. Irene Tovo's physical appearance was surprisingly young for her age. The Otome was undoubtedly the most experienced Meister sitting at the table, capable of sharing her knowledge with the younger ones.

'Chief Warrant Officer Two, Siler Lutz,' said the next soldier. 'I've been in and out of the military for the better part of the last decade and a half. In total this is probably my ninth year in service.' Lutz was likely the second youngest soldier – Emmett being the youngest – but he was a tall and imposing man. His voice was deep and he spoke slowly, either to make sure he picked out the right words or if that was simply how he was. 'Well, that's all there is to me. Em?' Sena Miles, who preferred to be addressed as "Em", was Lutz's Otome. She briefly introduced herself, telling everyone at the table her name and that she had been an Otome for just about six years. Rena could have sworn that Sena Miles could be a distant relative of Marion Weir as they both shared the same hair and eye colour. The only difference was the personality of Em, which was drastically different than Marion's.

Next was Marc Hurst, Eileen's Master, who was currently serving his fifteenth year in the military. As Rena had guessed, Eileen would be his fifth Otome. The balding, barrel-chested chief warrant officer turned to Eileen and signalled the young Otome to say something about herself. Rena smiled in amusement, watching as Eileen tried to introduce herself in front of her colleagues. Eileen cleared her throat and began slowly, 'M-my name is Eileen Riley and – uh – well, I just graduated from Garderobe yesterday.'

'How long do you plan to stay as an Otome?' asked Em from across the table.

Eileen hesitated momentarily, racking her mind for a quick answer. 'Well, I really haven't given it that much thought to be honest,' she answered.

'No one really knows until it hits you,' said Irene Tovo bluntly. 'Don't worry, kid, you'll find out soon enough.'

Then it became Emmett's turn to introduce himself. 'Warrant Officer, Emmett Antilla,' he began, speaking in a clear voice to the group. Unlike Eileen and Rena, Emmett had been with this group for about a year so he knew them all already. 'Well, this is just about my first year in the military so there's not much for me to say right now. I'm about as green as my Otome so…' Emmett turned to face Rena, who know realised it was her turn to speak.

'And finally we have Rena Sayers,' said Connor from the end of the table.

Everyone's eyes fell on Rena; she fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably. _Damn it, I hate being in the spotlight_, she thought with annoyance. 'Well as Chief Warrant Officer Five –'

'Just call me Nathanial, or Nate, or Connor, or hell, just call me whatever you like,' explained the team leader. 'You just don't have to call me by rank and name, at least not when we're together like this. Oh, and if you do call me by rank then you don't have to keep the "Five". Just call me Chief Warrant Officer or "Chief" if you like.'

Rena nodded, taking in the information, and continued. 'Well as Connor said, my name is Rena Sayers. Like Eileen, I graduated from Garderobe yesterday as well,' said the young Otome.

'How are you feeling? We heard you got hurt pretty bad during the exams,' said Connor.

'I learned a hard lesson,' Rena replied simply. 'I'm feeling a bit better now.' She reached for the ribs that had been smashed, wincing at the slight pain.

Connor nodded and said, 'Well we won't do anything intensive for a while so you can get some rest in the mean time.'

'Is that the Blue Sky Sapphire?' inquired Tovo, her eyes focusing on the precious stone pendant around Rena's neck.

'Sure is,' answered Lutz for Rena. 'The rookie pair has a pretty rare GEM, that's for sure.' Everyone at the table, except for Rena, Eileen, and Emmett, murmured in assent. 'It's not everyday that someone gets the Blue Sky Sapphire. That GEM isn't given to you. Nah, the GEM _picks_ its Master and Otome.' Rena thought Lutz was joking around. She turned to Emmett, expecting him to shake his head, but instead he remained silent and devoid of emotion.

Connor, the team leader, decided it was time to get down to business and quickly ended their introduction. 'Well that's great and all, but now it's time to do our job,' he said, speaking to everyone at the table. 'Alright, for those of you who don't know, we are part of the Otome Defence Group – the Royal Security Detachment specifically – otherwise known as this country's first and last line of defence. If there's a war and we get the call, every team from the Group is likely going to be moving out and you can expect us to get into the fray.' It was peace time and Rena knew that the chances of another war occurring, especially after the Dragon King War, were almost impossible. 'Hopefully there won't be a war so all we do is train and go out and see the world. Plus, if there were to be a war, we'd likely be guarding the royal family as that's basically our job.'

Rena, accustomed to asking questions as she did in Garderobe, raised her hand. Connor gave her a nod and she asked, 'But isn't guarding the royal family up to another Otome? Or the Royal Guards?'

'Correct, but when the royal family is travelling abroad then it is our duty to protect him. The royal family's Otome will specifically guard them, but it's us that guard everything and everyone else,' answered Connor. 'As for the Royal Guards, they are the King's personal defence force. I mean, I don't hate them, but they're nothing more than a show of force.'

'Our duties vary, Rena,' explained Tovo, leaning slightly over the table, hands locked, her eyes fixed on the girl. 'We perform goodwill missions to small nations anywhere in the world, however remote it may be. Think of us as ambassadors, as you will. Like ambassadors we travel to other countries and form and maintain good relationships. Now, unlike ambassadors, we don't deal with politicians – let the royals and the suits deal with politicians. While they're discussing world matters over a cup of tea, we're meeting the indigenous minority over a camp fire - really. We usually meet small tribal groups, if there are any, and establish a channel of communication. We help them and they help us.'

'In other words, we act as the warning system to Windbloom,' clarified Emmett. 'If there's any bad news in the world then we'll likely be the first to know.'

It was a lot to take in, but Rena believed she had it all down. 'So let me get this straight,' she began, 'we follow the royal family around whenever they go abroad, correct?'

'That is correct,' acknowledged the team leader.

'But we're not there just to defend him. We're also there to meet up with "small tribal groups, if there are any" to get them to help us, correct?' Tovo nodded in agreement. 'So basically we're spying on another country when we're there for official reasons?' The eldest Otome nodded once more. _They're winding me up_, thought Rena, looking at Eileen who was simply too lost for words. _Emmett said this is unlike any other group. They're definitely winding me up_.

'It's no joke, if that's what's going through your head,' murmured Emmett seriously.

Eileen and Rena looked at each other and merely said, 'Oh.'

'Don't worry, Rena,' said Connor at the end of the table. 'A few days here and you'll have a good idea what we do.'

The rest of the meeting gave Rena and Eileen their first taste at what an Otome's life was. They spent the next two hours sifting through government files and the latest intelligence reports about all the kingdoms. It was a laborious task; Rena was told to find any information that looked out of the ordinary. She wasn't exactly certain what constituted "out of the ordinary". To the new graduates of Garderobe, the documents were simply words and statistics; it bore no significance whatsoever. However, to the veteran Otomes and soldiers it was a treasure, a possible gold mine that was worth examining over for hours on end. Though nothing useful may come to light, it was time well spent for they had learned one important thing: all was well in the world. Rena's first working day as an Otome was not quite what she had expected, but then again, her young Master wasn't what she had in mind either.

Ω

The alarm sounded, waking up the Meister from her deep slumber. She groaned, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. 'What time is it…?' Rena turned over and checked the alarm clock on the night table: 5:00 AM. She groaned once more. _This wasn't what I really had in mind when I became an Otome_. She leaned over the night table and made an effort to turn on the lamp. She stared up at the ceiling for an indefinite period of time, her mind working slowly. Although she had to wake up early everyday, Rena found some consolation in the fact that her bed was very comfortable. The pillows were soft and plushy, the blankets were thick and warm, and if it was not for the fact that she had a job to do, Rena would have stayed in her bed for at least an additional five hours. Sleep never came easier, but then again, as an Otome, sleep was not a main issue. Though it was important that everyone – the Otome and her Master – received enough rest to carry out the day's work, it was also equally important that everyone got the day started early, especially in their line of work.

The Meister was surprised that everyone in their group, as well as the other groups in the detachment, had such luxurious sleeping quarters. It may not be like her bedroom at the Waltemeyers, but it was significantly better than her room at Garderobe. The room was not cramped and she was not bunkered down with someone else. Emmett slept in the room across the hall from her, as did every other Master and Otome. In case of an emergency the Master and his or her Otome would be able to meet quickly and prepare for action. Emmett had told her to expect surprise drills every now and then. Although she was his first Otome, he had been living on the base long enough to know what went on.

Rena threw off her blanket and slowly got out of bed, yawning and stretching her arms out. She slowly exited her room and quietly made her way down to the Otome designated changing room. Her feet felt the cold tiles underneath, sending a chill up her spine. She shivered in her thin nightgown as the hallways in the building didn't seem to be heated. The hall was empty and barren for the most part. The walls were plainly painted in a beige-dark tan mixture; a bulletin board at the end of the hall outlined the basic rules and regulations of the building as well as any news. Rena navigated her way through the dark hallway to the Otome's changing room; the only source of light came from whatever spilled through the window at the other end of the hall. It seemed as though everyone was still asleep, even the Otomes. There was no light coming from underneath the door of their room. _Good for me_, thought Rena as her hand closed on the door handle of the changing room. She preferred to be the first person in the changing room as that meant she had the showers to herself. It wasn't as though she was afraid of being in the same room with several naked women, but she would rather have some private time if possible.

The changing room for Otomes was quite simple in design: a short, narrow hall and a left turn brought Rena into the locker room; the floor was tiled in ceramic with a lone bench in the middle of the room; a locker for each Otome lined the side of the wall. An archway at the other end of the room led to the showers and the bathroom stalls. Rena opened her locker to retrieve a Meister's uniform – dress, shirt, boots, and all – that she had cleaned the night before. It was up to the Otomes to not only stick by the side of their Master and appear respectable, but to keep their uniforms proper. She grabbed a clean towel and headed off to a shower stall. Finding the stall at the very end of the room, Rena stepped inside and hung her towel as well as her undergarments on the door. Her hands played with the HOT and COLD knobs to get the temperature of the water just right. She stood under the shower head, allowing the warm water to run down her body, her hands fiddling with the pendant. Since being given to her, Rena had not, and had no intentions, of ever removing the Blue Sky Sapphire necklace.

She was in the shower for several minutes when someone entered the changing room. 'So I guess it's final, huh? You're the early bird now.' It was Irene Tovo, the veteran Otome.

'I just like my time alone, especially in the morning,' explained Rena from inside her stall, speaking over the shower.

'Don't we all,' said the disembodied voice of Tovo. There were sounds of rummaging and a locker opening and closing. The door to a shower stall a few stalls down closed with a snap. A few moments later the shower was on and water was running. 'Waking up early has been a habit of mine since I was young,' said Tovo. 'I had three brothers and since I was girl – well, you can imagine the confliction. If they weren't screaming at me to get out, they were screaming at each other. Idiots. They're family and I love them, but they can be idiots at times.'

'Are they older than you?' Rena asked.

'No,' answered Tovo. 'For a time I blamed their behaviour on immaturity, but now I think they weren't even born with it in the first place.' Rena had a distinct feeling that the veteran Otome was smiling with amusement in her stall. 'Well if I ever have kids I hope they don't turn out to be like my brothers.' Tovo's laugh echoed throughout the room.

Rena stood still in the shower stall, her hand clasped on a bottle of shampoo. 'Irene,' said Rena slowly, 'do you plan on having children of your own one day?'

Tovo remained silent for some time. 'I don't know, really,' she replied after a while. 'I suppose I will one day. Well, first I have to find a man I like before anything is considered.'

'You don't think it's too late?'

Tovo hesitated for a moment. 'What's with the questions?' asked the Otome with interest. 'You're asking all these weird questions –' She stopped mid-sentence. 'Don't tell me,' said Tovo in shock, 'you're already planning your retirement? You'll definitely break the record for the briefest working Otome.'

Rena blinked twice. 'What? No! No, that's not it,' said Rena quickly. 'No, I was just wondering…' She mumbled off the end.

'You're wondering if it's okay to get married and settle down, or whether there's a life after becoming an Otome, correct?' asked Tovo sagely. 'To be honest, you're not the first person to ask me this question and you won't be the last. I've worked with plenty of Otomes in my career and at one point we ask that question ourselves. "What are we going to do once we're done?" Well I like to know the answer too, but I don't think my time is up yet.'

'How long do you plan on staying as an Otome?' asked the young Meister.

'Maybe another couple of years,' replied Tovo indifferently. 'Maybe more, maybe less. I can't say for sure right now.'

'Have you always had Connor as your Master? Or did you change from time to time?' Rena then asked.

'Why? Do you plan on running away from Emmett?' joked Tovo. 'Or let met guess: you don't want to be pulled away from him. He's too irresistible, huh?'

At some point the water had turned hot, or it could have been something else completely. Rena felt her body warm up by the second; her face flushed as she tried to formulate a proper response. _'What? Ew! No, no that's not it all!' _retorted Rena hurriedly. 'No, of course not! Emmett is my Master and I would never have such thoughts like that! That's not what I meant at all!'

'You have to admit, though, he's a nice kid,' reasoned the veteran Otome.

'He is a nice person, but –' Rena agreed but she was interrupted.

'He's quite handsome as well,' noted Tovo slyly. 'Then again, Emmett's a bit too young for me. Maybe his father… His father is actually quite the looker, you know that?'

Rena opened and closed her mouth; she was simply lost for words. '_What? His father?_ I thought we were talking about Emmett? He _may_ be hand –' She stopped, cutting herself short from finishing the phrase and exclaimed, 'I'm asking the questions here, remember?'

Tovo's laugh filled the room. 'I know, I know,' she said, still laughing, 'but I like to do that sometimes.'

'Do what?' asked Rena, her face still red.

'It's not often that I get to meet a rookie pair, and it's not often that the rookie pair is in my group,' explained Tovo. 'It's fun to put juniors like you on the spot from time to time.' She allowed the amusement to subside for a bit and replied to Rena's original question. 'I've been working with Nate for six years now. Before then I had another Master – the ambassador to Aries. When the ambassador retired I had the chance to continue my line of work with his replacement or find something new. I found something new and I haven't regretted it at all. It all depends on your Master, really. Sometimes an Otome retires early, while other times it's the Master that goes first. You may or may not have the same Master for your career if that's the answer you want.' It was the answer Rena wanted.

Rena quickly finished up in the shower and turned off the water. She grabbed the towel and quickly dried herself off before covering her chest – she made sure not to forget her undergarments on the door – and walking out. Rena did her best to dry her hair, still damp and dripping, before changing into her Meister's uniform. Tovo was still in the shower and took up humming a tune now that Rena had left. Rena grabbed her clothes and headed towards the mirror by the sinks.

Her fingers buttoned up the front of her white shirt; Rena made sure the red tie was just perfect – she shifted it to the left just slightly to get it centered. Her long, flowing black hair was neat; her hands automatically tied the white ribbon given to her by Reito. _Of course I won't forget_, Rena thought as she finished tying the knot. The ribbon had now become an extension of her personality, a part of her uniform. The blue, white, and gold lined Meister's dress, recently ironed and cleaned, hung against the wall near the towel rack. Rena donned the Meister's dress and tied it off at the back, a task she had gotten better at over the course of several days. Usually it took her at least ten minutes by the mirror, her head turning around awkwardly, looking at the mirror, trying to get her hands to tie the dress properly. Now it only took her several good seconds to put on the dress and tie the strings into a bow at the back. Rena looked at the mirror once more and smoothed out any of the small wrinkles that had appeared.

'If you don't mind me asking, but how long do _you_ plan on staying as an Otome?' Tovo suddenly asked as she finished up in the shower.

'Sorry?'

'How long do you plan on staying as an Otome?' repeated Tovo. 'You asked me so I thought I'd ask you.'

The junior Otome looked at her reflection in the mirror. _Don't forget about us back home_. The words of Reito echoed through her head as a reminder of her true mission. The people of the Black Valley were dying because of some disease. Garderobe and Windbloom were the most likely to have a cure in their possession and it was her job to find out what that cure was. Of course, she had already been told the answer by the elders. Technology. The cure was technology kept away from all the other kingdoms due to reasons unknown to the girl. Rena always knew she had to do something to help her people. The task of finding the salvation for her people only heightened her commitment and determination. _How long do I plan on staying as an Otome?_ Rena's deep blue eyes locked on itself in the mirror. 'However long I need to get the job done,' replied Rena. It would not be an easy task but the future generations of the Black Valley lay squarely on the young Meister.


	5. The Luchar Treaty

**SAPPHIRE**

**05:** The Luchar Treaty

A week had passed since that morning when Rena had talked with Tovo in the showers. Since that morning Rena had placed the matters of their discussion aside and concentrated on fulfilling her duties as an Otome. The July weather allowed the group to go outside and begin its first team exercise. Rena was told by Connor to meet the doctor or nurses on the base and see if she could participate or if she was required to rest until her injuries had healed. The doctor gave Rena a clean bill of health and noted that the young Meister's body had a remarkable ability to heal itself. Rena shrugged it off and replied, 'I eat healthy.' The doctor was sceptical and wanted to know exactly what she ate but Rena simply restated her previous answer. 'I eat healthy. Nothing to worry about, Doc. I'm just like everyone else.' Exactly how much she was the same like everyone else was a mystery to the doctor and even the patient. Without further questions Rena was permitted to leave and rejoin her team, which was currently running over their exercise in the operations building a few blocks away. Emmett, wearing the standard woodland green fatigues and brown suede boots, had been waiting outside of the doctor's office for his partner. He was sitting in a chair, reading a magazine, when Rena left the room. He looked up at her and asked, 'So did he let you go?'

Rena pressed against her fully healed ribs and replied, 'I'm all good to go, Emmett.'

He smiled and said, 'Well let's show the guys what we can do out there.' He stood up from his chair and the two left the base hospital.

The base, Fort Santa Ana, was located at the southernmost part of the city, near the greener fields than the northern desert to the exterior of the nation. Like Garderobe, it was a secure and private facility open to members of the military and government only; visitors had to make an appointment and undergo a background check if they wished to step onto base grounds. Security at the base was taken extremely seriously – a company of guards kept watch at all times and a quick reaction force of Otomes was on standby. Like Garderobe, the military facility was like a small town of its own. Fort Santa Ana, though, was nearly five times the size of the Otome academy, and a population nearly ten times greater; however, only a centralised area was populated and the rest were training grounds. A portion of the thick forest that was used during the entrance exam into Garderobe belonged to the base; the area had been leased to Garderobe for the duration of the fitness exam. Throughout the day one could hear Otomes spar intensely with each other in the gladiatorial stadium; flashes of light and small shockwaves could be seen and felt. Of course, as the base was also home to the regular ground forces, the chatter of automatic and semi-automatic weapons at the shooting range could be heard from time to time.

'So what's on the schedule today?' asked Rena as they walked across the grounds towards the operations building.

'Well we're planning on running a few drills – mainly responses to a certain crisis,' answered Emmett. There was a brief pause and he continued, 'Although I think Nate's going to get us back inside as quickly as possible.'

Rena frowned. 'Oh? Why's that?'

'He's been pretty dead set on having everyone know their stuff,' explained Emmett as they passed the barracks. 'Although it's important that we all know how to fight, Nate wants us to know the area we may be involved in, as well as the people we may work with, so we can diffuse a situation if possible.' Rena looked at her Master in confusion. 'Let's just say he wants us to do our homework. Know the people, know the customs, and know how they think. No need to fight if we can prevent it, right?'

'I still don't know what exactly it is we're supposed to do,' Rena admitted with embarrassment, 'and it's been more than two weeks.'

Emmett chuckled. 'Well that's because nothing's been happening in the world so far. You really don't come to grips with your job until the first mission.'

'How many "missions" have you done?' Rena asked Emmett curiously.

'Oh, just about three since I was assigned to Nate's team,' he replied. 'We mainly went along with the royal family to Artai. While the King and Queen was over at the Grand Duke's palace, we were meeting a trusted underground resistance force,' added Emmett, sensing what Rena's next question would have been. 'The Free Artai Forces, or FAF, have been working with us for the past couple of years. Ever since the Grand Duke took power they've been working to overthrow him and restore some sense of freedom in that country. Higher-powers-that-would-be decided that we should play a part in training these people, so that's what we've been doing.'

Rena stopped in her tracks, looking at Emmett with disbelieving eyes. 'Are you telling me we're helping train _rebels_?'

'Its part of the job, Rena,' said Emmett, looking at the Otome quizzically. 'Oh…' His face suddenly dawned with comprehension; he looked at her with a newfound understanding. 'I know it might not sound like a good thing, but you have to remember the conflict that happened to cause all of this.'

It was now Rena's turn to look at him quizzically. 'What conflict?'

Emmett frowned at the Otome. 'Don't you know? It only happened like four years ago. It was all over the news,' said her Master, looking at Rena with an odd expression. 'You really don't remember any of it?'

She had said too much, or rather she did not do her homework prior to becoming an Otome. Rena had remembered hearing something about Artai when she was living in the Black Valley, but she did not know what all the commotion was about. Now as an Otome, the case about Artai was likely to be her first operation, and she knew very little about the subject. Drawing attention to herself, especially to matters like this, was always a risk she had to be wary of. Already the warrant officer was looking at his Otome with slight suspicion, but whatever he thought he kept to himself. Miss Maria and the Garderobe doctor were aware of her background, which was two too many than Rena had wanted. If Emmett found out – Rena did not dwell on the possible consequences. She made to recover her error and said, 'Well I guess I might… I didn't pay that much attention to what really happened.'

'Let's just say the current Grand Duke was upset with the republic government and took over,' explained Emmett bluntly. 'No one actually thought he would succeed, though, but he did. It took nearly a month for the Grand Duke and his army to overthrow the government and defeat the federal army.' The young Master pursed his lips, remembering the headlines that covered the front pages of every newspaper in Windbloom. 'It was like one step forward and two steps backward. While I admit that the previous leadership wasn't that great, the one under the Grand Duke is worse. Few people actually benefit; the majority of the citizens are living in abject poverty and want things to change.'

'So that's where we come in,' added Rena after the fact. 'We're going to help make things change.'

Emmett seemed to weigh the answer in his head. 'Well in this case, yes, we're going to help make change, but the overall mandate of our job is a bit more than that,' said Emmett slowly. 'Remember how Irene said we're something like diplomats?' Rena nodded. 'Well it's true that we do act, in a manner, as ambassadors for our nation, but we specialise in a different field. I know it doesn't sound like much right now, but when you actually go out there and do it, well you'll see for yourself.' He paused and looked thoughtful for a minute. 'I guess it is true,' said Emmett with a grin, 'you really don't know what you're doing until you get out there.'

The two resumed walking towards the operations building; Rena was left wondering about her Master's last statement. _You really don't know what you're doing until you get out there._ The idea of learning how to do her job when it mattered most did not sit well with her. Added to the fact that she was in a high-risk position where the death of her Master resulted in the same fate for her and vice versa, Rena did not find the vagueness of her job comforting. 'Are we responsible for the twelve kingdoms or are we only dedicated to a certain region?' asked Rena.

'Responsible for all the kingdoms? Hell no,' replied Emmett in a manner that would suggest thinking otherwise would be insanity. 'The Otome Defence Group is divided into different sub-groups. There's us, the Royal Security Detachment, which works alongside with the royal family and the Royal Guards; but there's also the National Defence Unit, which is the main battle group, if you will. There's more Defence Units than Security Detachments as the job of following the royal family doesn't require that many people.'

'So how do the kingdoms get divided up between you guys?' Rena asked, still trying to get an answer for her question.

'The twelve kingdoms are usually reserved for the Royal Security Detachments,' replied Emmett. 'The kingdoms are divided into four separate groups called Conflict Zones; each Conflict Zone is assigned to a set of Detachment groups. We're responsible for Artai, Zipang, Cardair, and Florence – that's Conflict Zone One.'

'Four kingdoms? That still seems like a lot for a small group like us,' noted Rena with concern.

Emmett shrugged his shoulders. 'It's not that much when you look at what we do,' her Master began. 'We're not a public force trying to pressure our way through anything. We try to keep a low profile and remain invisible on the radar, so the smaller the numbers the better for us. Besides, we only work with a small group of people anyway,' Emmett reasoned.

The operations building was like any other building on the military base. It was an old, three-storey, stone-built structure that looked more like a prison than a place for military planners to congregate. The bars on the windows were for "security reasons" but Rena found it to be more of a safety hazard than anything else. The Master and Otome entered the building and went up to the top floor, meeting their teammates in the designated room. The interior of the structure wasn't any more appealing – walls painted with dull colours and bulletin boards propped up every here and there with notices – which had the Meister wondering if whoever constructed and decorated the building was in deep state of depression, or if they even worked here.

Like the conference room used to introduce the two Garderobe graduates to their new team, the planning room was similar in design. A long oak table was situated in the middle of the room – everyone was already present and sitting around the table. A map of the twelve kingdoms was posted on the side of the wall; many more, smaller but detailed, maps of the four nations belonging to Conflict Zone One were posted on another wall. Rena couldn't help but notice an exorbitant amount of thumbtacks and markings on the Artai map. Notes were posted alongside several tacks; the markings around cities had photographs of several buildings. Rena didn't want to know what she and her team had in store but she was sure it would be revealed to her at one point. Emmett and Rena promptly took their seats at the table with the rest of the team.

'I know you were all expecting some exercises today,' began Connor, 'but we're going to have to scratch that.' No one said anything in response but the change in atmosphere was noticeable. Though no question as to why there was change was asked, the team leader explained, 'A situation is developing in Artai and there's a good chance a diplomatic team from Windbloom will go down and have a talk.' Wherever diplomats go, Rena knew a Detachment would follow as well. Looking at Connor, she also noticed a closed folder lying before him.

'Do you know what's going on?' Hurst asked in regards to the developing situation in Artai.

Connor shook his head. 'Negative. No one is telling me anything so we're pretty much in the dark. Just expect to move out within the next couple of weeks,' he advised. The team leader turned to Eileen and Rena, smiling sympathetically, and said, 'I know you two were pretty anxious in getting out there to run through the exercises, but that's just going to have to wait.'

'We'll hit the ground running,' said Rena confidently. She met Eileen's gaze and they nodded. Though it would be a new experience for them, the two recent Garderobe graduates were confident in their abilities.

The team leader gave the two new Otomes a nod and said, 'It's great to have confidence but don't get too cocky. Things are different out there. Now, on to business.' Connor opened the folder in front of him and handed out several documents to the soldiers and Otomes at the table. 'We haven't been told what's going on in Artai, but reading this should give you a general idea of what's up.'

Rena took the stapled document passed to her and began skimming through the pages. _'Increased budget for the military has drawn concerns from the governments of… movement to rebuild Otome force… Kingdom of Artai will declare their separation from the Luchar Treaty…Artai routinely conducts joint military exercises with the nation of Florence…'_ The document went on for another three pages; Rena placed it down before her. She only needed to look at the first page to know what the grave concern was. Artai was building up its military force and wanted to retreat from the peace treaty, which drew concerns from several nations including Windbloom.

'So let me guess: we have to train those FAF guys some more?' asked Lutz, looking over the top of the document.

'I don't think we have much to worry about,' said the Otome of Lutz, Sena Miles. 'Judging from the reports we've received prior to this, Artai hasn't made any aggressive moves.'

'Yet,' added Emmett, sitting next to his Otome. 'Although they haven't done anything extreme yet, this might just be a build up to something bigger.'

Connor looked thoughtful and asked Emmett, 'So you think Artai is up to something?'

'I'd like to think they're not, but it's apparent that something is causing them to boost their military power. Here are simple reasons why I think they _should_ be doing this: they might be trying to defend themselves from an invasion, or they might be launching a pre-emptive strike. Both of which are not the problem so I don't see why this is happening. To answer your question, Nate, I'd have to say "yes". Yes, I think Artai is up to something,' Emmett replied.

'So what's the government of Windbloom going to do?' asked Eileen. 'Do they think they can just talk Artai out of this? From what I've read it doesn't seem like Artai has committed any wrongs. I mean, aside from the fact that they might pull out of the Luchar Treaty, Artai is still safe.' The Luchar Treaty, Rena knew, was a treaty signed by the twelve kingdoms after the Dragon King War, restricting the use of Otomes in battle and the promise of never warring with one another again. Rena knew such a treaty was foolish and was not meant to last. It was not because she was a pessimist that she thought such things, but she was a realist. Rena grew up in the Black Valley and knew peace was only the period of calm between one war and the next.

Hurst nodded in agreement with his Otome. 'Eileen's right on the matter,' he acknowledged, turning to her and giving the young girl a nod. 'Right now Windbloom and the other nations will be made to look like the aggressors if we ask them to stop what they're doing. Artai doesn't have to listen to us; it doesn't have to listen to anyone at all. We can't stop them from building up their military because it's totally within their right. Don't get me wrong, I have my concerns as well, but legally there's nothing we can do.'

'Which is why we're in the business of doing things clandestinely,' reminded Connor to his team. Everyone at the table understood that, many of them grinned mischievously.

'But we don't have dates set, right?' asked Miles for clarification.

Connor made to answer but his Otome beat him to the punch. 'Not as of yet but we should be ready to move out at a moment's notice,' said Tovo. 'In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we were called out as an advance team.'

'What's an advance team?' blurted Rena She had remained silent up to this point and needed to speak her mind.

'An advance team is usually a team, or multiple teams, that are sent before the main force. They usually act as lookouts and set up ground stations prior to a main operation,' answered Tovo.

'I think the concern here is that Artai might pull out of the Luchar Treaty,' began the team leader. 'If Artai pulls out then that might encourage other nations who are not fond of the treaty to pull out as well. Call it a domino effect. I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to know what happens if Artai does pull out of the treaty.' Connor looked at the two new Otomes and asked, 'Are you sure you girls are up to this? If – no, it should be _when_ – we go, are you guys going to be ready?' Rena and Eileen found each other across the table and knew instinctively that they were ready to battle anything out. They had graduated from Garderobe together to become Meisters; they certainly would not let anything get in their way after coming this far.

Ω

Although Connor had officially cancelled their outdoor exercises, the Otomes of the team decided to do some sparring of their own. The Masters had consented and watched from the sidelines as their Otome went at it, equally sharing the pain of defeat and damage sustained. Rena was the top student at Garderobe, but here she and Eileen were at the bottom of the food chain. She apologised profusely to Emmett with each loss, knowing he was likely hurting from the beating she received. As it was normal to her, Rena healed almost instantly as the fight had not been intense, but her Master was still feeling the pain she sustained. 'Just know that you can always do better,' he said with a grin, clutching his sides. Rena simply smiled meekly and said, 'Sorry.' Irene Tovo, the veteran Otome, was no doubt the most talented and skilful fighter of the team and perhaps all of the other teams. Her age and experience marked her as one of the best Otomes in the kingdom. Rena heard rumours that Tovo was offered the position as the King and Queen's Otome, but that she had declined the offer in order to remain part of the Detachment.

With their sparring practice done with, Rena and her teammates retreated to the showers to clean up. The room was hot and humid, as well as active – another Otome team was already in the changing room when they arrived; the two Otome groups were socialising with each other and catching up on some news. Rena and Eileen had their work cut out for them during the exercise, but for Tovo and Miles it was just another day on the job. Miles was busy humming a tune to which a friend of hers in the other group was singing a song. Tovo was speaking loudly over the shower to anyone who would listen. Rena came to learn that while the veteran Otomes did not often share their stories of success or failure during operations outside of the changing room, inside it was all open for discussion.

'So then the chief – or I suppose he was the chief by the way he dressed – came up to me and asked for my Master,' said Tovo over the running water to someone in the stall next to her. 'I told the chief that Nate couldn't make it so he had to talk to me.'

'Is that the same guy that brushed off Mila?' the Otome next door asked.

'The very same,' said Tovo. 'I told the guy that if he wanted our help he would have to deal through me. It didn't take him long to realise that I wasn't kidding.' Tovo paused briefly before continuing. 'Well in the end everything worked out okay. Although I don't trust him completely in particular, I think he held his end of the bargain.'

'You don't think he's trying to set you guys up?' asked her friend.

'I can't say for sure but I guess we'll find out soon enough,' replied Tovo grimly. 'Say, do you know if we'll actually be going to Artai any time soon?'

'I don't know, but I guess with word going around that Artai might pull out of the treaty, who knows might happen?'

Rena and Eileen were in the shower stalls at the very back of the room, listening attentively to the different discussions. Rena listened as Miles discussed with her friends of a possible date they would be called on to escort a diplomatic team currently being assembled for a mission to Artai. They were anxious to embark on their first mission, but the thought of travelling to another part of the world was also nerve-racking. Perhaps the stress was more for Eileen than she, but Rena knew this would not be any normal trip she would make. Unlike her travel to Windbloom, she was now an Otome and had a job to do. A person's life could be affected by whatever she did. Add to the fact that she still had to find a cure for the disease slowly killing her people, suddenly the weight on her shoulders increased even more; Rena closed a hand on the pendant around her neck and prayed for strength. Rena believed she had understood stress while she was at Garderobe or when she was training in the Black Valley, but all those experiences seem to pale in comparison to what she was currently feeling. The Meister did her best to breathe normally, but instead there only came short gasps. She leaned back against the side dividing the two shower stalls; her head tilted up, eyes closed, and letting the water run down her face and body. _This is what I wanted, _she thought, remembering her dream. _I've gone this far; I'm not going to back out over a bit of stress._ She wished for better times but knew hard work lay ahead.

A tap on the wall snapped the Otome out of her reverie. 'Hey Rena, do you think we'll actually go to Artai?' It was Eileen.

'I don't know,' admitted Rena slowly. 'By the looks of it, we might just be leaving in the next few weeks. Are you nervous?'

'Am I nervous? C'mon Rena, you know me. Of course I'm nervous, but I'm always ready for a challenge,' replied her friend. The two were speaking loud enough to ensure that they could hear one another, but low enough as to not have their voices carry. 'Are you nervous?'

Rena pursed her lips. _Am I nervous?_ 'I guess curiosity is getting the best of me,' said Rena, 'because I'm a bit excited.'

'Same old Rena, eh?' Eileen said, grinning on the other side.

'I suppose so,' she agreed. 'Well you'll be with me, right? We'll get through this like Garderobe.' Suddenly she remembered something she swore she would never forget. 'Oh damn! We forgot to write to Marion!' Rena placed a hand to her forehead, cursing her forgetfulness. 'Damn it… We promised her we were going to write to her!'

Eileen remained silent for some time. 'We can write one when we're done here,' said Eileen after a thought. 'We'll tell her that we were busy for the past several days.'

It was true that they had been busy the previous week, but that didn't mean they couldn't take some time out of their schedule to write their best friend a simple letter. Rena felt as though she had betrayed Marion and let her down. How long had their best friend been waiting for them? Had Marion given up waiting? Simply thinking about her friend only made the knowledge that they had forgotten her even worse. Rena shook her head, muttering to herself, 'How can I forget?'

'Don't worry about it too much, Rena,' said Eileen, trying to soothe her friend. 'I'm sure Marion will understand. You know what? I think she's been busy as well. She's an Otome like us. She'll understand.'

'I hope so,' Rena said quietly.

Suddenly the door of her shower stall burst open. Rena fell back on the wet, tiled floor in shock, her arms instinctively covering her chest. Standing before her, a towel covering her bare physique, was an irritated looking Otome from the other group. 'Are you done yet? It's been _thirty _minutes!' exclaimed the Otome in annoyance, staring down at Rena with impatience. 'There are people waiting you know!' Rena simply sat on the floor, looking up at the barely clothed Otome with a meek expression.

Ω

Fort Santa Ana was cast under a starry lit sky later that night. The ruckus of the day had been silenced; everyone, except for the guards, was inside. The temperature had fallen somewhat during the night; the weather was cool but there was not a breeze to be felt. It was one of those rare occasions when Rena had nothing to do. She had spent the last two hours sifting through documents of Artai and reading up on the people she may be working with in the coming weeks – assuming they left to Artai, of course. Rena and Emmett had gone through their regular game plan for the mission: meet with the locals, establish a sense of trust, and then communicate with them. The FAF, the group they were most likely to work with, had been infiltrating all levels of the Grand Duke's government and was ready to give the Detachment any information necessary. She had done her homework and now it was time to rest. Her head was aching and what she needed most was time to cool off. Emmett told his Otome that she didn't need to be with him at all times, and that it was okay for her to wander off now and then when they were on the base. Rena looked up at the full moon and wondered when Marion would receive the letter. After being evicted from her shower stall, Rena and Eileen quickly dressed and headed off to write a letter to their forgotten friend.

Rena was walking along the fence of the base when a noise behind her caught her attention. The Meister quickly drew her two daggers and prepared for a quick fight. As Emmett was not around, Rena could not materialise into her robe. Regardless of this little drawback, Rena had been trained quite well – here and back in Black Valley – to fight by hand and with an assortment of weapons. The daggers in her hand were no standard issue weapons given to her by the military; Rena had used some of the spare money she had earned while being employed by the royal family to buy her own set of custom daggers. They were a lot sharper and much more durable than the ones that would have been issued to her.

'Who's there? Identify yourself!' ordered Rena, standing guard. Although she felt relatively safe inside the confines of the base, her heart skipped several beats as she waited nervously for the stranger to identify him or herself. Rena turned to where the sound had originated – a dark patch of bush along the fence line. Though she battled to stay calm, the daggers shook in her hands. If she was going to fight, this would be a real fight and not some sparring match where she would escape with scrapes or bruises. If this would become a real fight, someone would get hurt and possibly killed. She tried to calm her nerves but that proved to be quite impossible. '_Identify yourself!'_ Rena called out again, this time in a more threatening tone. She waited for an answer; there was no answer, only silence.

'What's wrong?' Rena turned around to see a pair of sentries hurrying to her position.

Rena turned to the bush and said, 'I heard movement in that area.'

The two sentries approached the fence line and shone their lights on the bush. The guards checked the area thoroughly but came up empty. The sentry looked back at the Otome and said, 'Nothing here, Miss.' Rena nodded and watched as the two sentries walked off. She couldn't help but feel embarrass. She had believed that something was hiding in the bush, but nothing had been found. Were the guards laughing at her? Were the guards laughing at the brand new Otome? Rena sheathed the daggers and kicked the dirt beneath her in frustration. Her nerves and imagination had gotten the best of her, causing her to overreact.

Something by the bush caught her attention. Rena squinted, muttering, 'What the…?' The Otome walked towards the object and found that it was an envelope. She crouched, picking up the letter and examined it in the moonlight. Her eyes widened in shock and fright. _Rena Sayers_. The letter was meant for her. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Rena quickly opened the envelope and retrieved the letter inside. She unfolded it to read its contents. Rena had expected a long letter, not knowing why, but instead there was only a small sentence in the middle of the page and nothing more. There was no name of the sender or the date it was written. There was simply one short sentence, or rather it was a demand. It was an order.

The one line read: _Find the cure._


	6. The Thirteenth Kingdom

**SAPPHIRE**

**06:** The Thirteenth Kingdom

The note had been a reminder from the Aswalds, she knew. Rena knew they were likely feeling impatient after two years of waiting; they probably wanted an update on what she was doing. Truth be told, Rena had yet to get started on her search for a cure. Since entering Garderobe she had been busy with an assortment of tasks and had not found time to do any research. In fact she had no idea what kind of disease she was dealing with in the first place. Rena decided that a good place to start was the library; hopefully they would have some information on the Black Valley. The library on the base was smaller than the library at Garderobe, but it was much more specific and contained the books she required. Although this was supposed to be her day off and a day to relax, Rena found that impossible. She woke up and had her breakfast early in the morning before hitting the books. Eileen, naturally curious as to her friend's sudden odd behaviour and interest in books, asked what was going on. 'Nothing much,' replied Rena casually, 'I just want to get some reading done.' Her friend from Garderobe looked at her sceptically but refrained from asking anymore questions. Eileen simply watched her friend walk off towards the library with the same envelope she had brought back the night before.

'…First and Second Platoon are moving out with the delegation,' said a sentry getting off duty.

'Damn, that's gotta suck,' replied his partner. 'Who wants to go to Artai? That place is a dump if you ask me.'

'Whatever, at least it's not us. Burke and Connor's team are slated to be the Detachments tagging along,' the other guard exclaimed. He laughed suddenly. 'Man oh man, are they going to have fun.'

'They'll be bored out of their wits. Christ, I pity them for having to deal with the FAF. Those guys are hopeless.'

She abruptly stopped in her tracks. _So we're going? _If these sentries were speaking the truth it would mean that Rena would have to be prepared to move out within the next few days. Realising the attention she had drawn to herself as the guards turned to look at her, Rena made to correct her error by falling to one knee and fixing her boots. The sentries shrugged and continued to move on, talking about what lay ahead. Rena had been walking past a group of barracks when she came across the two guards' discussion. She smiled inwardly with excitement. She was nervous, but she was also excited. This was it. This was her shot to prove herself to the team. The two guards did not think that a trip to Artai would be exciting, but Rena would beg to differ. _Who cares where I'm going. This is it. Two years of hard work at Garderobe and here I am. _Adventure, that's what it was.

Situated at the very centre of the base, the library was perhaps one of the most well designed structures of Fort Santa Ana. The architecture was sleek and modern; the sides and rear of the building – the building in the shape of a crescent moon – was made of limestone, but the front was entirely glass, allowing passers-by to see the three levels of the library. If there was one thing left in the city that could amaze her, the library on the base would be it. She stood before the entrance, looking up at the glass front of the building. Although she had been on the base for more than two weeks, this would be her first time entering the library. A blast of cool air greeted her upon opening the glass double doors; another set of double doors, also made of glass, behind led to the library; soft carpet covered the ground of all floors. The walls on the main floor were mostly lined with shelves of books, but much of the ground level was taken up by polished redwood tables and comfortable chairs, as well as lounge areas for casual reading. The second and third floor, connected by flights of stairs, contained aisles upon aisles of books. Whatever she was looking for, it was likely she would find it here. Empty except for a few people who were taking out books, Rena knew she would have some privacy to work with. It always amazed her how such an extravagant place was located on a military base. She always expected something like this to be open to the public and not restricted to military and government personnel. Of course the library did contain books that would normally be inaccessible to civilians.

_Find the cure._ She looked at the letter before checking the map of the library and the different sections it contained. Rena looked down at the map then up and around the library. There must have been a few thousand books in the library; several sections of the library looked like something relating to what she was looking for. _This is going to take a while_, she thought, sighing heavily. _I guess I'll start by looking at the medical section_. The section of books dedicated to diseases and viruses, the human body, and physiology was luckily located at the very back of the main floor. Rena was glad she wasn't required to go up to the second or third floor and bring the books she needed down the flight of stairs.

'Now what exactly am I looking for…' Her eyes scanned the volumes of medical encyclopaedias, lost on where to begin. Rena pulled a random book off the shelf and thumbed through the pages, browsing for anything that might be useful. She sighed in defeat and returned the volume back to its rightful place. Her answer was likely here, somewhere in this library, but she had no idea where to begin. _How can I find a cure when I don't even know what the disease is?_ She frowned, racking her brain for a solution. Suddenly an idea came to her. Rena knew it would take her forever to sort through the volumes and look for a cure; instead she would read up on the disease that struck her people and work from there. _Locate the problem, specify the problem, and find a solution. I'm a genius!_ She smiled inwardly at her grand idea and walked off towards the section of the library dedicated to world history.

Half of the history books were on the first floor and the other half was on the third – why it wasn't on the second, she had no idea. Rena grabbed an armful and took a seat at the nearest desk. She dropped seven thick volumes on the redwood table before her, creating a loud ruckus in the process; a soldier nearby raised his head from his book and looked at her with an annoyed expression. Rena mouthed "Sorry" and quietly took her seat at her table, reaching for a random book and opening it. She went immediately to the index at the back and looked for "Aswald". None. Rena took the next book and looked for the same term in the index. Nothing. Mildly frustrated, Rena tried the third book. Same result. _Damn it, it's not like we don't exist_, she thought angrily. The remaining four history books were the same – the Aswalds were not mentioned anywhere. Rena tried one last time, looking for the Black Valley, but came up short as well.

Rena pillowed her head in her arms on the table, feeling the stress and hopelessness weighing down on her. She had two years to focus on her studies at Garderobe but now that she was out, now that she was an Otome, it was time to get down to business. Midori and Yohko depended on her. That old lady across from her shabby chamber depended on her. Even Reito, sacrificing so much to ensure the Black Valley remained safe, depended on her. People she knew were probably dying this minute; people were likely dying everyday. Rena was never the one to be deterred from a path she set for herself. Some called her stubborn, others say persistent, but she believed she was strong-willed. The young Meister took calming breaths and knew that giving up would not only go against the values instilled by her people, but also against her personal beliefs. Rena found a renewed sense of strength and was keen on getting back to work. The day was still young and lunch had yet to come. She had plenty of time on her hands.

'The weather is wonderful outside. No need to stay cooped up in the library.'

She had expected it to be Emmett, but instead it was their team leader, Nathanial Connor. 'Connor,' said Rena in surprise, 'Er – hi.'

'It's great outside. Why're you in here?' he asked again. 'I was talking to Eileen earlier and she said you wanted to catch up on some reading.' He looked at the mound of textbooks on the table and said, 'That's some heavy reading you got going.'

'What? Oh – yeah – well I have an interest in history,' Rena lied.

Connor's eyes narrowed, looking at Rena with suspicion. He grinned knowingly. 'Rena, I've been doing this job for a helluva long time. My job sometimes calls on me to talk with the local villagers and build trust. That means I have to know when they're telling the truth and when they're lying,' he informed the young Meister. 'If it's not any of my business then it's not any of my business – I won't get in the way and I won't pester you – but just know that I can tell when people are lying.'

Rena felt ashamed for lying to her team leader. She thought she could get away with it but Connor was quick to pick up on the lies. 'I'm sorry, Connor,' the Meister apologised.

He shrugged it off. 'If it's not really a major concern of mine then I don't mind,' he said half-heartedly. Looking at the pile of books curiously, he then asked, 'Though if you don't mind me asking, what are you really reading up on? Or actually, _why _are you reading up on history?'

'Well…,' the Otome hesitated. Rena wasn't sure if she was willing to tell her team leader the truth, but if Connor knew something about the Black Valley then it might prove useful.

'Like I said, if it's none of my business then I'll stay out of it,' he reminded Rena. This was not a tactic to have the girl cough up the truth, but rather a sincere statement.

Rena looked around the library and knew there was no way for her to find the information she needed without some help. She would have to trust him. She would trust him like he trusted her. Rena turned to her team leader and replied, 'The truth is that I want to know more about the Aswald and the Black Valley.'

Connor frowned. 'The Aswald and the Black Valley, huh? Well isn't that an interesting topic right there,' he noted.

'I want to know their history, the area they live in, their way of life – basically everything about them,' explained Rena. Having told Connor the truth, she felt a significant weight had been lifted from her shoulders. All she could do now was to trust him to give her the truth. 'Do you know anything about them?' asked the Otome slowly.

The team leader scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. 'Let's see, where to begin,' he said after a thought. He took a seat next to Rena and went for one of the thick volumes; he opened it and began to flip through the pages at random. 'There used to be a time when the subject of the Black Valley and the Aswalds were taught at Windbloom University and even Garderobe, but after some time they – by "they" I mean the people with power – believed the subject to be useless. To the common Joe, the threat of the Black Valley and the Aswald had disappeared from their mind. People didn't care for them anymore, didn't want to be bothered about something that wasn't worth thinking about. You get more people complaining about the Schwarz who have been inactive for decades than you do with the Aswald. I've been doing this job for nearly two decades, Rena, and I still can't see the logic behind all of this. Can you?'

Rena shook her head. _No, I can't, but I can tell you that I know how it feels to be ignored_, she thought bitterly. To have someone like Connor say it to her merely confirmed the fact: the Black Valley and the fate of its people were of no interest to the world. 'Why are people like that?' she lamented quietly.

'Sorry?'

'Why do people think like that?' she repeated in the same tone. 'Why do people ignore things like that?'

'What do you mean?' Connor asked curiously.

Rena had done her best to keep her emotions in check since she departed from the Black Valley. For two long years – and for years to come until her service was up, or until she completed her mission – she had lived a lie. Rena had pretended to be someone else, to be like everyone else. Seeing that she had gone through two years as something of a phoney, Rena considered herself to be quite the actress – it was not so much of a skill but a curse. Growing up, words like "honour", "duty", and "loyalty" had become a large part of her personality and values. They were not simply words but actual entities, a living organism that would die if not taken care of. The entities were dying as each passing day starved them of nutrition. Rena felt the repercussions by a slow erosion of her girl-scout personality and a drive down a darker path. She was a prisoner inside her own body. If there was ever a time to break free and breathe, now would be the time to do it. Her resent and bitterness at the passing world sometimes likened to Reito's; the only difference between Reito and she lay in the fact that the Otome had patience and could conceal her true emotions. Her patience, though, was not impermeable to change. On the outset she smiled and laughed like everyone else, but inside the gravity of her work brought the girl to her knees.

Ω

_Black Valley, six years ago…_

_The desert heat was inescapable. Whether they were hiding in the shade or resting in their chambers, the heat outside would find a way to creep inside. Yet despite this obvious irritation, the people of the Black Valley managed to cope with it. Adaptation had been one of the strong points of her people. They were able to move and adjust to their new surroundings at a moment's notice. From the sparsely populated mountainous region to the north, to the desert valleys in the south, the citizens of the Black Valley were only capable of living from day-to-day. Hard work and honest work were part of their beliefs and values. If one wished to survive, one would have to be able to carry his own weight and help others who could not. Those who were unfit to carry out their tasks would be delegated to other areas where they could be useful. No one was spared from work. Everyone had to do their part. If they did not then they would be removed from the community. Food was hard to come by so it only seemed natural to feed those who would be productive. It seemed cruel and inhumane to an outsider, but to those living in the Black Valley this had been their way of life since the beginning of their foundation. It was not necessarily that the strong survived, but rather the strong-willed. That was the Black Valley way; that was the way of the Aswalds._

_In order to protect their people from hostile forces intent on their destruction, the Black Valley required a group that would step up and defend its people. The Knights of the Black Valley were formed as a result. The citizens looked up to the Aswalds as heroes, as role models. The Aswalds were a proud and honourable group that respected even its enemies as long as they held the same warrior code. For many of the young boys and girls growing up in the Black Valley, becoming a Knight of the Black Valley was a dream. Regardless of gender, as long as one was willing to make the appropriate sacrifices and be willing to commit with their life, they would be taken in for training. Not many – only a few out of a large group – ever become part of the Aswalds, but for those who do succeed, it will be the most rewarding experience in their life._

_Rena sat underneath a makeshift hut, working diligently at solving the numerical patterns in front of her. Her tired blue eyes scanned the sheet of paper in front of her; her fingers mindlessly spun the pencil as she squinted at the paper in deep thought. Each series of numbers were different. None of them were the same in any way, or at least in a way she would recognise. A member of the Aswald had told the young girl that the patterns would help unlock a key to "something" at "some place". _Why am I the one doing this? _Gal, she had been told, was currently away on a mission so she was unable to handle to the task. Rena, one of the most intelligent person to grace the desolate Valley, was assigned to the monotonous task of finding a pattern from the numbers. For a ten-year-old girl growing up in a place forgotten by the world, life beyond the Valley was impossible to fathom_._ Yet it was her future to leave this place she called home and move on. It was her destiny to leave the Black Valley and find a cure for her people._

'_Still working hard on that?' asked a young Reito, grinning at the girl's frustration. 'You better work harder or the Leader won't be happy.'_

'_Of course I'm working hard! When the Leader comes back I'll have the answer he needs!' snapped Rena, giving him a venomous glare. 'Go away! I'm concentrating!' The young girl huffed, turning her back to the boy, and began chewing on the back end of her pencil._

_Reito did not leave as instructed. He leaned over the shoulder of Rena and watched the data sheet lying on the table with great interest. It was an obvious move to tease the girl. 'That looks boring,' he said after a moment._

'_That's good because maybe now you'll leave me alone,' she replied acidly. _

_The boy grinned. Clearly he was having too much fun teasing his friend to let her go. Rena had gone back to chewing the end of her pencil; Reito snatched it from her and said, 'You know this pencil is dirty. We don't want you to catch some disease and die now, do we?'_

'_Go away, Reito! And give me back my pencil!' Rena fumed. She went to snatch the pencil from his hand but failed. 'I'm serious! I need to get back to work!'_

'_Fine, fine, have it your way,' he sighed, handing Rena back the pencil. _

_She took the pencil and went back to finding a pattern, muttering curses under her breath that were directed at Reito. Sensing that the boy had still not left her side, she turned around and asked rather rudely, 'What do you want? Don't you have anything better to do?' _

_Reito feigned a hurt expression. 'Don't you like me, Rena? I thought I was your friend?' he asked in a wounded tone._

_The girl rolled her eyes and replied emphatically, 'Leave me be, get out of my sight, then we can be friends.'_

'_And here I thought we used to be on better terms,' said Reito sadly. He laughed and sat down next to her at the rickety wooden table. It seemed as though a simple breeze would be all it took to break the table. 'I can help, you know.'_

'_No you can't,' snapped Rena, not looking up from her work._

'_Oh? Why's that?' asked Reito curiously._

'_Because it's my job and mine alone,' she replied promptly. 'You wouldn't be able to do it. I was told to do this.'_

_Reito snorted. 'You're _ten_ years old, Rena; you're not a machine. You're just a little girl with a destiny some crackpot lady fed to us when you were born,' Reito sneered. 'You've got more responsibilities than you're supposed to have.' He went to snatch the paper away but Rena kept it from him._

_Rena looked at him in genuine disbelief. 'Of – of course I can do this! It doesn't matter whether I'm ten or twenty! I can find the pattern hidden here,' she replied quickly, staring hard at the sheet. 'I have to pull my own weight. Let me do my job and you do yours, okay? Now leave me be.'_

_The boy would not have any of it; it was his turn to roll his eyes. 'Look at that, how long have you been staring at that piece of paper? An hour? Two hours? Get a rest, Rena, you're too young to be stressed out over things like this.' He finally took the data sheet away from the girl, holding it above him so it was out of her reach. 'What are you going to do, Rena?'_

'_Give it back!' she commanded, reaching with her arms outstretched to grab the sheet of paper._

'_Or what?' Reito baited, dangling the paper above her wanting hands._

_Rena contorted her face into an expression of fury. 'Give it back or I'm going to… I'm going to…' She fumbled for an answer but fell short. _

_Reito smirked with satisfaction. 'Are you going to cry? Are you going to cry now?' he asked in a sing-song voice. '"_Destiny Girl can't get her piece of paper back so now she's going to cry. Boo-hoo!" _Is that what you're going to do?' _

'_I'm _not_ going to cry!' exclaimed Rena angrily, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. She blinked them back and continued to stare at Reito with an expression of absolute hate._

'_So you're going to tell your dad about me?' asked Reito. 'When he comes home you'll tell on me? Is that what you're going to do?'_

_Rena said nothing. She looked into the boy's eyes and merely said, 'I hate you, Reito. I _hate _you!'_

'_Whatever. You can have your dinky piece of paper back,' he said, letting the girl snatch it from his hands. Reito stood up from the table and stepped out from under the shade. Before turning to go on his way, he looked at Rena for a brief moment and said, 'Everyone in this Valley is cursed, Rena. Everyone except for you. Don't stress yourself over things like this. You should be happy and get out of here. Get out of this place and live the normal life you were blessed with. That whole "saviour" thing is lunacy.' With that he walked away from the hut; Rena stared at his back, wondering what to make of the boy's message._

Ω

Rena looked at Connor and held his gaze. She would reveal to him her true emotions on the subject at hand without giving herself away. 'The inhabitants of the Black Valley are misunderstood people,' she began, trying to keep her voice even. 'I don't understand why they're not being given the help they need. We go all around the world to help nations like Artai, Aries, Cardair – but what about the Black Valley? These people need our help more than anyone else. They hardly have enough food to get through the day. Forget money! They don't have jobs to get money because no one wants to help them!' Rena felt her voice rise but did nothing to stop herself.

'People starve and die everyday and what do we do? We do _nothing!_ They live with a curse that will probably kill them before they reach adulthood, but what do we do? _Nothing_. We do absolutely nothing and leave those people to dry while we sit here and twaddle our thumbs. There are more deserving people in this world, Connor. There are people who need our help but we do nothing.' Rena felt her voice shake with emotion but she kept it under control. 'I don't know a lot about the history of the Black Valley, which is why I want to know more, but I don't recall them doing anything to us to deserve alienation.'

Connor had remained silent and watchful during Rena's heated outburst. He looked at the young Meister with a knowing expression and replied, 'It is unfortunate that the inhabitants of the Black Valley are forgotten, and that we focus on other matters. I agree that a kingdom such as Artai does not require our help, but you must understand that it is in the best interest of this nation to lend assistance. I'm a soldier, Rena, I don't deal with politics so I can't give you a proper explanation. Sorry.'

'That's okay,' said Rena quietly.

The team leader paused. He opened his mouth but quickly closed it. 'Rena,' he said after a while, 'do you want to know why the Black Valley is in such a bad way right now?'

Rena looked at him in surprise. 'Oh – sure,' she replied, taken slightly aback.

'Where to begin… Well let me first to tell you that I don't profess to know everything there is about the Black Valley and its people, but I do know quite a bit,' explained Connor; Rena nodded in assent. 'Anyway, I guess it all began with the Twelve Kingdom War some few hundred years ago. A lot of people died during the war; the world was permanently scarred. You know we should have all started working together back then, but no, we had to have the Dragon King War. Well what can you say? We're not all perfect.' Connor shook his head, sighing at the stupidity of it all.

'The Black Valley was a very sacred place, Rena,' said the team leader. 'Before the Twelve Kingdom War, the Black Valley was once a rich, flourishing place. Now I don't mean rich as in materialistic rich, but rich with vegetation, growth, and everything else. It was reputed to be the most beautiful place on the face of the planet. I mean I can't even begin to imagine what it was like. From what I've learned and from what I've read, the Black Valley was the ideal place to live. Of course it all made sense for settlers to gravitate towards this luxurious area. Pilgrims from the twelve kingdoms left their home to find a new place to live in the Black Valley. Within a hundred years the Black Valley became even greater, even more beautiful. I know it's hard to imagine, but try and picture a kingdom without blemishes, a kingdom that is pure and that is elegant. Have you read all those fantasy books in the archives?'

Connor referred to the picture books of fairytales and make-believe lands that were seemingly perfect in every aspect. Rena had yet to read any, but she had barrowed some from Eileen and gone through the books before. 'I've looked through them,' she replied.

'Imagine that. Imagine those white walls, those golden roofs, those shiny marble pathways that covered the streets. Can you picture that? Can you imagine that? The weather is perfect. It's always sunny, it's always clear, and it's always wonderful. A calm river flows through the middle of the kingdom, providing everyone with fresh water everyday. Nothing is wrong with this picture. Nothing will _ever_ be wrong about it. The people are happy and living their life to the fullest. No one is unemployed because everyone looks out after one another.' Rena had been following every word spoken by her team leader in awe. His description of the utopia formed in her head. The beautiful kingdom he described starkly contrasted with the desolate valley she grew up in. Wherever the beauty went, Rena was only too curious to find out. Connor pursed his lips, looking grim. 'What I've told you so far has been recorded into the books to remain with us throughout history. However, this information is rarely accessible to the public for reasons unknown. I guess the people with power don't want the public to know about it, but I can only wonder why.' He shook his head and continued, 'The Black Valley soon became the most prosperous kingdom on the planet and –' his face darkened '– the most feared.'

Rena frowned in confusion. 'The most feared? Why's that?'

'First, let me ask you this: do you know why it's called "The Black Valley?"' asked Connor. Rena shook her head. For the life of her she couldn't give an explanation as to why it was called that in the first place. She had never been told why the area had been given that name, only that it was called the Black Valley. 'The answer is simple, to tell you the truth. The soil was black; vegetation grew incredibly well. Black soil, hence the name Black Valley. Simple, right?' She stared at him sceptically but took his word for it. 'Back then it wasn't called the Black Valley. Back then it was the Kingdom of Corun, nicknamed "Crystal Vale" because of its pureness and beauty. Now I don't know the specifics because it's this part that's missing from the history books, but they say the Otomes of Corun were able to materialise without a Master.'

'_Without a Master?'_ Rena asked, thunderstruck. 'How can you materialise without a Master?'

'No one knows, or at least if anyone did they're keeping their mouth shut. Not only that, but after several generations the female population of Corun were all born with the nanomachines in their body. Actually, the nanomachines became an inseparable part of their body. To tell you the truth, it's not nanomachines, but something entirely different. It was something entirely biological that they were born with. I don't know how it's possible, but I guess you can say it was something in the water.' He grinned jokingly. 'Not every girl wished to become an Otome, but to become one would be a much easier task than it is today. Newborns had the latent ability to become an Otome at a whim; this here was threatening to the twelve kingdoms because this meant the entire nation of Corun could become an army of Otomes at a moment's notice. It didn't take long for the twelve kingdoms to plot the destruction and complete annihilation of the Crystal Vale.' Connor closed his eyes; he appeared to be in deep thought.

Rena waited for him to continue; he continued to remain silent, his eyes closed. 'But why do they want to destroy Corun? Why did the twelve kingdoms hate Corun so much?' she asked desperately. The injustice and cruelty of it all pained her deeply. This here, the utopia described by Connor, could have been her home.

The team leader slowly opened his eyes. She had never seen him stressed out or tired before, even when she saw him coming back from a thirty-kilometre run. Though he was not physically tired, Rena could tell that this discussion was taking a toll on him mentally. She did not want to push him further, but she wanted to know why the Kingdom of Corun was doomed for annihilation. 'If a kingdom had the power of several thousand Otomes, do you realise what kind of panic that would cause?' he asked in a distant voice. Rena nodded grimly. 'The Kingdom of Corun was _too _powerful for its own good. One could say that the Corunians being genetically superior made the other nations scared and jealous. The obvious option would to be to remove this cause of fear and jealousy.'

'And this is the Twelve Kingdom War?' Rena asked quietly.

'Partly,' answered Connor. 'The Twelve Kingdoms could not defeat the Corunians easily, but they had numbers and they had resources. The Crystal Vale was besieged for three years before it fell. Hundreds and thousands died during the war; the civilian population was brutally murdered. Whether it was a man, woman or child – if you came from the Crystal Vale then you were as good as dead. No one was spared.' Connor's voice shook as he spoke. 'When people are afraid they do stupid things. Some of the civilians escaped and were taken in by sympathetic families from all over the world. Today they live among us, no different than any of us. I doubt if they know anything about their own history.'

'Wait a minute,' said Rena suddenly. 'You said that was part of the Twelve Kingdom War – what was the other part?'

Connor laughed darkly. 'The senseless massacre of former allies. When the Kingdom of Corun was destroyed and the nation looted, the twelve kingdoms turned on each other and the second part of the war began. Some years later the war came to an end and they promised to never fight again.'

'Some promise that was,' noted Rena sarcastically.

'Yeah, the Dragon King War finally made them realise how stupid their promise had been. They needed something new, something official. The Luchar Treaty came to be but even then…' Connor doubted the effectiveness of the international peace treaty. 'That treaty isn't meant to last. If Artai pulls out of it then you can expect the whole thing to fall apart. Let's just hope we don't have another war on our hands. We're soldiers of Windbloom so if the bugle blows and we get the call, I'll have no qualms about going to fight, but still, it's better not to fight, isn't it?' Silence fell between the two for an unknown length of time; both pondered at the aspect of going to war. He checked his watch and suddenly exclaimed, 'Well I'll be! I still have to finish those reports.' He stood up from the redwood table and said, 'Well I hope I was of some help.' Looking around the library, he then said, 'Now I don't know why I was in here in the first place. Ah well – oh, I remember: why are you in here? Get outside, the weather's nice.'

'I will,' said Rena, sighing heavily as she stacked the books one on top of another to be put away.

Connor did not seem satisfied. 'Listen, tomorrow I want you off this base, hear me? Tomorrow after breakfast I want you off this base. Go out and have some fun while you can! Visit your family or friends, or I don't know, do fun things. Go shopping, go see a movie, but at least put the work off for the weekend,' said Connor emphatically. 'I understand that you're an Otome, but you're still just a kid. Don't stress yourself over matters like this. Enjoy your life because it only comes around once.'

'Yes, Sir,' said Rena mildly. The words of her team leader reminded her of Reito six years ago. Hadn't Reito warned her to live a normal life? Hadn't he warned her to not stress out over her work? Six years later and she still did not change. 'I hear we're moving out to Artai soon,' blurted the Otome. She had wanted to ask Connor since he showed up, but had been distracted for a great deal of time.

'How'd you know that?' he asked in surprise.

Rena shrugged. 'Two sentries were talking about it. I sort've listened into the conversation,' admitted the Meister.

'Well I'll make sure to find out who those two were,' said Connor with a small grin. 'But yeah, we're moving out soon – next week, to be exact. I suspect you'll tell Eileen?' Rena opened her mouth to answer but Connor interrupted, 'I suspect you will. Just try to keep it quiet, okay? No one is supposed to know about it yet.'

'Sure thing,' said Rena, feeling the excitement of going out on her first mission.

Connor began to leave when Rena suddenly called out, 'I have one more question!' He stopped and turned to her. 'Do you know why the inhabitants of the Black Valley are born with a deadly disease?'

The team leader looked thoughtful for a minute. 'If being born with the ability to become an Otome is a curse, maybe this disease is a gift? I honestly don't know, Rena. I never learned about that. Sorry,' he said apologetically. He turned to leave but stopped short, saying, 'I can't answer that question, but I can tell you this: the Sky Blue Sapphire came from the Crystal Vale. That GEM there is the oldest in known history, but not very many know of its past.' With that Connor finally took his leave.

Δ

**Author's Note:** Well as you can see I do enjoy taking my liberties with the story. It's an alternate universe so I figured the sky is the limit. Regardless, don't expect this story to match the manga or anime in any way. It'll be similar at points, but in the end everything is going to be different. Just as well, I should note that the summary length of doesn't give me the room to depict the true, general plot of this story. With this chapter comes an update for the summary – the story is focused more on Rena's journey of self-discovery than the actual growing conflict with Artai, which is simply a mild, but still important event.


	7. Night Activities

**SAPPHIRE**

**07:** Night Activities

There were several flaws she noticed after listening to Connor: if the people of the Kingdom of Corun had been, for the better part, killed or displaced, then who were the people currently inhabiting the Black Valley? Who were the people Rena grew up with? Were they even living in the Black Valley? Judging from Connor's description, the thirteenth kingdom was situated in a beautiful place, but certainly not the Black Valley she grew up in. If there had been a kingdom then where were the ruins? Even if the war had happened centuries ago there would still have to be some structures left over. She had been to the mountainous north several times in her life, but even then no ruins had been found. Wherever the Kingdom of Corun had lay, Rena knew it would be unlikely that it would ever be found. Still, the lost kingdom was definitely an interesting subject worth looking into. _I'm going to have to check around on that_, she noted mentally.

The young Otome quickly tidied her room and made sure everything was neatly put away. She examined the room one last time and said aloud, 'Looks good enough.' Rena left her room, locking it behind her, and made her way to leave the residence. Connor had told – no, he had _ordered _her – to leave the base for the weekend, and threatened her with a laborious task should she fail to comply. Rena had no intention to disobey her team leader; she promptly cleaned up her room the morning after and made to leave for the Waltemeyers. She had last spoken to them on the day of her graduation and was eager on giving them a surprise visit. Emmett, Rena learned, was quite accommodating. In fact he seemed quite laid back. Whether that was a good or bad thing, Rena did not know. However, she knew he genuinely cared for her as an Otome and as a person. 'Whether Nate told me or not, I would have told you to take a break. Tell your family I say "hi", 'will you?' said Emmett the night before. Upon reaching the main floor, Rena was surprised to see her Master standing idly by, likely waiting for her.

'Emmett?' asked Rena in surprise.

He smiled. 'Well I figured I'd give you a ride to your parents,' he said. 'I'd actually like to meet them, to get to know them, but I'll leave this day for you and your family.' Emmett shrugged and said, 'So… need a lift?'

'Sure, why not?' replied Rena, smiling.

A brown military truck was stationed outside of the main doors of the residence. Rena was always uncomfortable getting into the trucks as many of them, such as Emmett's truck, had no doors and no roof. It was for the main part a dune buggy for the roads. Still, the Meister knew she wouldn't have to fight from the vehicle, and that it was simply used to travel around the city and patrol the desert terrain outside of Windbloom. She took her seat in the front passenger seat; Emmett got behind the wheel and started up the engine. The diesel engine rumbled to life; Emmett turned to Rena and said, 'I don't know how to get to your house so you're going to have to give me directions.' Rena nodded and the truck began to move. Driving towards the main gates of Fort Santa Ana, Emmett asked the Otome over the noise of the engine, 'So I've been meaning to ask you: what made you become an Otome?'

'What?' Rena was taken slightly aback.

'My dad always planned for me to go to the Military Academy,' began Emmett. 'It's all in the family, but you already know that. Regardless, I still would have gone if I had the choice. My mom wasn't up to it, of course. She wanted to wait until I was of proper age before I left, but my dad had other ideas. In the end I guess it all worked out, right? I mean I think I'm doing pretty well. I love the job and I love the people I work with.' Rena had been watching him as he spoke; she could have sworn he had given her a quick glance with his last statement. 'It's fun to travel and stuff, and you know what? I don't mean to brag or anything, but I think I'm good at what I do.' He turned slightly to Rena and gave her wink. Emmett slowed the truck down as it approached the main gates; the guard gave the warrant officer a nod and lifted the gate. 'So what made you want to become an Otome?' asked Emmett as they left the military base.

Rena casually looked about, taking in the passing forest scenery that surrounded the base. 'Oh you know,' she said, 'just a small girl's dream.'

'It's a pretty big dream, but I guess if you put your heart into it then nothing's out of reach, right?'

The Meister quickly turned to her Master, looking at him with surprise. He simply smiled at her, that same warm smile. _Where do you come up with these – these – _Rena looked for the word that would fit but found none. Emmett was an enigma and she didn't know whether _that _was a good thing or not. Though he was her Master and she was his Otome, their relationship was very much a mystery. They hardly knew anything about each other. _Which is probably why he offered to give me a ride_, she thought. What better way to know another person than to talk to them while driving? _Well, maybe something over lunch or…_

'I guess it's always something I've wanted for myself,' replied Rena after a thought. 'Have I ever told you about that time my parents took me to Windbloom Castle?'

'I don't recall,' said Emmett.

'Well it was only two years ago,' began Rena, 'just before I entered Garderobe. I've never gone on a tour of Windbloom Castle before so it was really exciting to me. It was there when I saw an Otome. I mean, I've seen them before, but this was the first time I saw one in person.' Rena smiled in spite of herself, remembering her first full day at Windbloom. 'I had already applied to Garderobe before I saw the Otome, but it was then and there did I realise I _had _to become an Otome. I _wanted _to be like her.'

'Well allow me to be the one to congratulate you on fulfilling your dream. This is slightly redundant for me to say, but you are now an Otome,' said Emmett.

Rena grinned lopsidedly, replying, 'Why thank you.' Silence fell between them momentarily. 'Has Connor told you that we've been picked to go to Artai with the delegation?' she then said, changing topics.

Emmett nodded. 'Yeah, he told me last night. Excited?'

'Just a bit,' answered Rena. In truth she was more than "just a bit" excited. Rena found it hard to concentrate on any task at hand as Artai was always at the forefront of her thoughts. 'But this shouldn't be anything new to you, right?'

'Well not exactly,' said Emmett slowly. 'This will be our first time out together, as Master and Otome.'

'Just try not to let me down, okay Emmett?' joked Rena.

Emmett laughed aloud. 'Me? Me trying to not let you down? Don't get all cocky there, Miss Otome. I'm looking to see if you can actually start running when we touch the ground,' said the warrant officer. 'I hope I don't have to be your knight in shining armour and rescue you from danger.'

'That'll be the day,' Rena said haughtily. 'Oh, it's a right turn at the next light. I live in that new residential area.'

'Gotcha,' acknowledged the driver. He made the right turn as directed and the truck proceeded to drive down a relatively busy road; small to medium-sized shops were set up on both sides of the road, their parking lots filled. 'So Nate told me something interesting last night – I mean, aside from the info about our mission to Artai.' He cast Rena a curious glance. 'He said you wanted to know a bit about the Black Valley and the Aswalds. I don't mean to pry, but why?'

Rena shrugged. 'Curiosity, a need to know more – I don't know, I just felt like looking into them,' replied Rena casually.

'Have you heard of the story about First Platoon in Baker Company?' asked Emmett suddenly. Rena shook her head. 'It's an interesting story, really. Like us, First Platoon was travelling with a delegation, except it was to Romulus and not Artai. Anyway, this only happened last year so it's pretty recent. It didn't make the papers, or at least not on the front page, since no one got hurt, but still… Well, how did it begin again?' Emmett frowned, trying to recall the events of that day. 'Oh yeah, it happened on the return trip. Well the delegation was coming back from Romulus after a week of talking things over about trade and whatnot. The ship that the suits and the soldiers were on was only ten kilometres out from the main walls when they were attacked. It was at night and since we didn't have any night-vision capabilities, well, let's just say we were at a disadvantage.

'The ambush lasted for half an hour. Reports say they were hit with some rockets, disabling their ship so that they couldn't move. Reinforcements were called in but by the time they came the battle was over. The two platoons immediately formed a perimeter and started shooting back; flares were fired into the sky for illumination. This proved helpful and was ultimately the reason why the attackers were pushed back. In the end no one got killed. None of our guys and none of theirs. We still don't know what their objective was but it was likely to be a one time thing. Since then not a single delegation has been attacked, but that hasn't stopped us from beefing our security forces. Unfortunately on that ship there wasn't a Detachment unit, but I think our soldiers did a fine job on their own.'

Rena listened and she nodded, but with the story's end she did not know how it applied to her. 'So what does that mean to me?' she asked rather bluntly.

Emmett slowed the truck down to a halt as they came to a red light. He turned to the Otome and replied, 'The attackers were from the Black Valley. Now we don't think it was the Aswalds, but they were definitely from the Black Valley.'

Rena wanted to believe that he was joking, but deep down she knew her people provided services that were sometimes questionable. It would not surprise her if the Black Valley was behind the attack. She pursed her lips. _Damn it, this is only happening because the world doesn't care about us_. She knew that the manner her people was trying to grab attention was rather childish, but when all other methods had failed then what other option was left? 'Well through my research and what I've learned, maybe it's because no one is helping them?' suggested Rena.

'What do you mean?' asked Emmett.

'Think about it for a second; what would you do if the world didn't help you? If your people were living in horrible conditions and the world did nothing to help, what would you do?' she asked Emmett, her eyes boring into his.

Frowning, Emmett replied, 'I don't know… I guess I'd be angry, as though I was forgotten.'

'So if you were forgotten then what would you have to do to be remembered? What would you do to make your situation better?' pushed Rena. Emmett simply shook his head in hopelessness. 'I don't agree with how the Black Valley is approaching the matter, but they can't be blamed for everything.'

'So I suppose we're supposed to help them out?'

'If that's what we have to do, then yes,' answered Rena.

Emmett nodded but was clearly not in agreement. 'Alright, but what should we do? Should we forget everything they've done to us in the past? Everything _we've_ done to them? I mean I agree – we should help – but it's going to be hard to put our differences aside. Frankly I don't see anything happening to make the situation better in the near future.'

'Well we should try,' said Rena sullenly.

The Master glanced at her briefly. 'If there comes the day when you can make a difference then I'll support you all the way, but right now we're just pawns in the grand scheme of things.' Emmett turned to look at her, smiling in a hopeless manner.

The remainder of the journey was in silence. Rena was frustrated for a variety of reasons and did her best to cope with the problem. Rena knew the source of her frustration stemmed from the mission that had been given to her. She knew it was not Emmett's fault that they couldn't help the Black Valley. She knew it wasn't his fault that he couldn't understand her position, or her true feelings. After all she could never reveal to him her true self; he would never really know her. _And that there lies the problem_, Rena thought. The truck came to a halt in front of the Waltemeyers' house several minutes later. The street was empty and peacefully quiet. Rena did not leave the truck just yet. She remained quietly seated, staring absentmindedly down at her feet.

'So you want me to pick you up when you're done?' asked Emmett.

'What? Oh – no, you don't have to,' replied Rena. 'I can get back on my own.'

'You sure? It won't trouble me at all, you know. You are my Otome and I am supposed to look out for you,' he said. 'Listen, I'm not doing anything the whole day except for finishing a few reports back at the base. I'll be at the Fort for the whole day so if you need me to come pick you up or anything, just give me a call, okay? You have my number, right?' Rena nodded, knowing there was no way she could get him to forget about her. 'Good, well if you need me, call, okay?'

'Sure thing,' said Rena, stepping out from the side of the truck.

Emmett waved goodbye to Rena and drove off down the road. The Otome watched as the truck disappeared around the corner and walked up to the stucco-walled house. Rena stood in front of the door, wanting to ring the bell but was instead immobilised on the spot. She had yet to pay the Waltemeyers a visit since graduating from Garderobe. Coming to see them after such a long time was intimidating beyond reason. How would they react when they see her standing at their doorstep? Would they be angry for not paying them a visit earlier? Happy that she came back? Rena flattened the creases of her uniform and rung the doorbell. She could hear movement on the other side; a rumble of footsteps approached the door. The lock clicked and the door was opened by James Waltemeyer. His thin face broadened to a smile. 'Rena! We were wondering when we were going to see you,' he exclaimed happily.

'Well I figured I should drop in and see how you were doing,' said Rena, relieved that he was not chasing her off the property. 'I've been meaning to stop by but I've been held up.'

'No worries,' said James, waving the matter aside. 'Please, come in.' He stepped to the side, allowing Rena to enter the house. James Waltemeyer was beaming at her. 'Cara and I are so proud of you, you know that? Just seeing you wearing that uniform – we're really happy for you.'

'Please, if it weren't for you two then I wouldn't be here. If it weren't for you then I'd likely be back in the Black Valley,' said Rena modestly. She looked around, taking in the sight of the foyer and remembering the first time she stepped foot into this house. 'It's been two years…' Rena looked around the house, a sense of nostalgia overcoming her.

'Only two years but a lot has happened since,' said James.

Rena turned to her adopted father and asked, 'Where's Cara?' James gestured towards the kitchen behind him. His face was straight but she could tell that he was hiding something, that his face was refraining from showing some sort of excitement. Rena walked down the hall and found her adopted mother by the counter putting clean, empty glasses away in their respective shelves. Cara Waltemeyer looked very much the same when they had last met, but she was also very different. She was rounder and slightly bigger, her body containing the life a new child. Rena goggled at her in amazement. 'C-Cara! You're pregnant?'

She smiled warmly at the young Meister but said nothing yet. James placed a hand on her shoulder and said, 'We were waiting to surprise you, Rena.'

'Taking care of you made us realise that we wanted a child,' informed Cara Waltemeyer. 'We weren't sure if wanted a child then, but after taking you in we knew what we wanted. You helped us find out what we wanted for ourselves.'

'Oh – well, no problem, I guess,' said Rena, unsure of herself. 'How long –?'

'It's been about three months,' said Cara. 'Boy or girl, we're happy to have a child.' She smiled and added, 'Of course, I would rather prefer to have a girl.'

'What? I thought we agreed that it'd be better if we had a boy?' asked James taken aback.

Cara scoffed. 'Boys are dirty. Don't you agree, Rena?' the soon-to-be mother asked, turning to the Otome.

Rena laughed. 'Well I don't know if I want to comment since my Master is a male,' replied Rena.

Cara materialised a sandwich in front of the Otome, to which Rena gladly accepted. The family talked for countless hours. Rena did not know whether they had anything planned, or whether _she_ had anything planned, but time certainly ran out. Emmett had dropped her off in front of the Waltemeyers' house early in the afternoon, but when the girl looked up to check the time, she was surprised to note that it was nearly six in the afternoon. The Waltemeyers did not ask for specifics, but they were quite interested on hearing how her life as an Otome was proceeding, and how Garderobe had been. 'Oh it's been great,' said Rena, replying to Cara's inquiry in regards to her job. 'It was a bit boring at first, but now things have been pretty exciting.'

Rena then learned that the Black Valley continued to maintain contact with the Waltemeyers. 'The messenger comes around once in a while – the last time was a month ago – but all he asks is if we've heard from you,' explained James. 'Of course we tell him the truth – it's not often that we contact you or vice versa. Everyone back home seems to want to know what you do at all times,' said James. 'You're quite the celebrity back home, aren't you?' Rena shrugged her shoulders. _I guess so, if that means the Aswalds are trying to get me to work faster_, she thought, remembering the letter directed at her. The Waltemeyers did not know about the letter and she had no intentions on telling them about it. Rena continued to smile and moved the subject away from her friends from the Black Valley.

The Waltemeyers invited Rena to stay for dinner and she quickly took up the offer. 'We'll be cooking up something out back – a bit of barbecuing – so if you want to stay then it'd be great,' said James. It wasn't as though she planned on leaving them any time soon. Rena wanted to spend as much time as possible with her adopted parents before going back to the base. Cara told Rena that she should change out of her uniform and into more casual clothes. Her bedroom, she saw, did not change the slightest during her two-plus years of absence. The bed was as she had remembered it when she left, and the layout inside the closet was the same. Rena changed out of her Meister's uniform and into a red blouse and navy blue skirt the Waltemeyers had bought her when she first arrived; the Blue Sky Sapphire, though, remained around her neck. She tucked it under her blouse and buttoned up the shirt. The window in her room was left open; already she could smell the grilled burgers wafting into her room. She poked her head out of the window and looked down – James and Cara were standing by the grill, talking amiably as the burgers cooked. _Well I can trust James not to poison me with his food_, Rena thought, grinning. She wondered why several tables had been set up in the backyard but was sure she would find out soon.

Rena joined the two outside in their backyard, stepping out onto the clean-cut grass. The sizzling barbecue, the irresistible smell of juicy burgers begging to be consumed, all made the girl hungry. It was as she stepped outside did the Waltemeyers tell her the reason for the barbecue and the tables. 'We have guests coming over,' explained James. 'Some friends of mine from work are coming over. Cara and I didn't know whether to bother you about this, but I guess since you showed up then why not? Don't worry, you don't have to talk to anyone if you don't want to.'

'No, that's quite okay,' said Rena, laughing. 'I'll manage.'

'Are you sure?' asked Cara, eyeing the Otome nervously. 'James' friends are a weird bunch.'

'I'll be fine,' Rena assured her, grinning.

The sky began to darken when the first guest appeared at the Waltemeyers' house. He was a man similar in age to James Waltemeyer, though bigger. It would be something like a barbecue between families, Rena began to notice. Coworkers of James brought their wife or husband, along with their children if they had any. All of them appeared to be the same age as James, but some were older. They all shook hands or embraced one another like brothers and sisters. There was laughter and joy – Rena, standing to the side, watching these exchanges, couldn't help but feel happy. Had Rena not known the occupation of her adopted father, she would have found the scenario before her confusing. However, knowing full well what his job entailed, she saw nothing wrong with the handshakes and embrace.

James Waltemeyer worked for a private contracting company that often employed its services to the most dangerous parts of the world. Though some of the people at the barbecue worked desk jobs, many like James were advisers that travelled abroad for weeks or months at a time. Although the pay was exceptional, the danger was never forgotten. The colleagues of James standing before her were all friends and it was likely that they had not seen one another for a long time – she soon learned that one of them had been away from his family for nearly a year. The young children from some of these families did not understand what the occasion was about, but for those who were old enough to realise the fact, they merely stood aside and let their parents enjoy their time.

'I guess you got pulled into this like me, eh?' asked a voice behind her.

Rena turned to face a boy with sandy brown hair and thin-framed glasses over his electric blue eyes. He was wearing a black windbreaker over a shirt, and khaki pants. The boy grinned wryly and continued, 'My dad got back four weeks ago, but some of these guys just stepped out from the port last night.' He nodded to a man standing by with his wife, chatting to another friend. 'That guy there just came back from the northern mountains of Artai last night.'

Rena whistled. 'It must be heavy work,' she noted.

'Must be,' said the boy. 'I don't ask my dad for details, but I've talked to some of his friends. Some say it's boring work while others like it. How does your mom or dad like the job?'

She had never asked James whether he enjoyed his line of work. Actually, she never bothered the man once about his job. Rena never gave a moment's notice to whether James liked what he was doing, and whether Cara was fine with having her husband gone for lengthy periods of time. Rena simply assumed that since the married couple seemed happy at all times, maybe they were fine with it all. Just as well, it didn't seem as though she had a right to ask such a thing. 'My dad seems okay with it,' replied Rena, 'but I don't ask him about it to tell you the truth.'

The boy nodded. He suddenly tapped the side of his head with his hand, remembering something he had forgotten. 'I'm sorry, I haven't even asked you for your name yet,' exclaimed the boy. 'The name is En Kaplan,' introduced the boy, extending a hand.

'Rena Sayers,' said the Meister, taking the hand. 'En Kaplan?'

'What a name, eh? Don't worry, I won't be surprised if you ask for it again,' said En, laughing.

'No, that's quite okay, I got it,' Rena said, grinning.

The boy named En Kaplan looked at Rena for a moment. He seemed to be searching for something, racking his brain for whatever he needed. Suddenly his face lit up as the answer came to him. 'Hey wait a minute; I think I know who you are. You said your name was Rena Sayers, right?' he asked. Rena nodded, looking at him quizzically. 'Yeah, I heard about you. You're quite the well-known figure.'

'I am?' she asked, looking dumbfounded.

En nodded. 'Yeah, you are. You're an Otome, right? You were that recent Meister that graduated from Garderobe with exceptional grades, breaking a few records and setting some new ones in the process. Yeah, you made quite a name for yourself in Garderobe. Graduated at the top of your class – not to mention you graduated with honours – and received the Blue Sky Sapphire. You got the perfect Cinderella story, Rena. A girl growing up in a normal household – no rich uncles, no money locked up away for you at the bank – you worked hard for yourself and you were rewarded for your efforts. Definitely a role model to all, you know that?' _I did?_ Rena thought with amazement, though her face remained impassive, simply showing a state of confusion. 'I guess you didn't know about that, huh?'

Rena shook her head. 'Well I know I did some stuff, but nothing amazing,' she said slowly.

'You really came out of nowhere, you know? I mean a lot of the students that try and become an Otome are from rich or noble families, but you're not. A lot of my friends were glad to see someone who wasn't living in the upper bracket to graduate the way you did. You really showed them up,' said En proudly. He hesitated and added, 'We're not stalking you or anything. Just consider us your supporters.'

'I didn't know I had supporters,' she said, laughing lightly.

'Oh you'd be surprise. Don't get me wrong, though,' he said suddenly, raising his hands. 'We're not stalkers or anything; we're just some fans of yours.'

'And that should make me think otherwise?' Rena asked, looking at the boy suspiciously. She grinned and said, 'To tell you the truth, it's kind of weird to think that I have a fanbase.'

En shrugged his shoulders. 'You might not be a movie star, or a princess, but why does it matter? You're more than that.'

Rena was not sure how to respond to that. She looked at him momentarily and finally said, 'Thanks.' The boy shrugged his shoulders with indifference once again. 'You want to get something to eat?' she asked, wanting to fill the void between them. 'Food smells great and I'm starving.'

Night had already settled across the sky when she finished James' delicious hamburgers and Mr Jones' hotdogs; lamps and light from the house illuminated the backyard. The barbecue had been a success; the friends were reunited and chatted amiably, talking about old times and the future to come. Rena had been sitting next to En for the majority of the night. The two had moved to their own table, away from the adults and the smaller children, nearer to the back of the yard where they could be alone for the moment. Emmett had shown himself to be something of an enigma – she couldn't read him as he was too unpredictable. En, on the other hand, was not such a mystery. Rena learned that he was only older than she by three weeks, and that he had moved to Windbloom with his family nearly four years ago. She easily accepted his personality and was glad to have some company for the occasion.

'So what are you studying at Windbloom University?' asked Rena, pushing her plate away.

En emptied his glass of water before replying, 'Criminology.'

'That sounds pretty neat,' said Rena.

'It's always been something I was interested in,' explained the boy. 'Well I guess I wanted to go through with it.'

'Nothing's out of reach,' said Rena absentmindedly. She was unsure as to why she said that. Whether it was meant for her or for En, she did not know. Since becoming an Otome she had felt as though her dreams had come true. The dreams had come true for the most part, but after several days she realised something else was missing. There was another _want_ but she did not know what. Rena placed such matters aside and focused on her work and the work she had to accomplish for the Black Valley.

En nodded and replied, 'I guess you'd be the living proof of that, huh?'

It was Rena's turn to shrug her shoulders. 'I just wanted to become an Otome,' said Rena simply.

'Consider it a mission accomplished,' said En, raising his empty glass.

Rena took the glass from the boy's hand and refilled it with water from the jug nearby. She returned the glass to the boy and raised her own. 'Here's to me being an Otome and to you and your future,' exclaimed Rena. En grinned, nodding, and the two tapped glasses.

The guests began to leave some hours later. Rena checked her watch, swearing under her breath, knowing that she was supposed to return back to the base. She went to call Emmett but was surprised to find that he was not at his desk. _Maybe he's coming here for me_, she thought hopefully. Still, she had such an enjoyable time that she forgot she had a job to do. Even though Rena and En had been discussing about their lives and what they wanted to do (or in Rena's case, what she was currently doing), Rena managed to forget that she had a Master. The Meister knew Emmett and Connor would be happy knowing that she was out having fun and not being stressed by work, but Rena still felt bad about it.

Yet it was easily the best time of her life – she had last experienced such a feeling at her graduation ceremony. En was standing with his parents by their car. He walked up to Rena before leaving with his family, saying, 'I suppose I'll see you again?'

'If we have another one of these barbecues again then definitely,' said Rena with confidence.

They stood under the light by the lamp of the house, looking at one another awkwardly. What was she supposed to do now? Give him her number? No, she didn't have a number unless En was willing to talk to Emmett. Hug him? Shake his hands? Say something funny? The two looked at each other, both lost at what to do. They would soon part ways but none knew how to do it properly. There was an uneasy silence as the two grinned at each other nervously. Who knew such a simple task as saying "Goodbye" could be so difficult?

Through the silence of the night was the distinct sound of a speeding vehicle, its tires screeching as it turned a corner. The vehicle turned sharply around the corner at high speeds, barrelling down the quiet street. Rena rolled her eyes at the immature driver. _Kids these days_, she thought in annoyance. Just because it was late at night didn't mean the teens or young adults with free time could speed wherever they want. It was not until the vehicle neared did Rena realise that the driver was not a teen or young adult with free time; the driver was clearly dressed in military fatigues. Emmett, in the military truck, came to a halt in front of the Waltemeyers' house. He did not bother to turn off the engine or step out from the truck. He leaned across and shouted unceremoniously to Rena, _'Get in!'_ He was not yelling at her in anger, but rather out of urgency. He looked winded though she was sure he did no strenuous physical exercise.

'What's going on?' asked Rena.

Her answer came in the thunder of explosions far off in the distance by the kingdom walls; the night sky was suddenly lit as illuminations were sent flying into the air. The familiar sound of rifle chatter echoed across the broken silence, mixing in with artillery pieces landing on or near their targets. The kingdom walls were alive with activity as the sentries were in the process of repulsing a foreign force. Someone was attacking Windbloom. An unwise decision if she ever knew one. Rena, without thinking, quickly gave En a hug and joined Emmett in the military truck. She did not stop to look back and see the expression on the boy she had come to know several hours ago. Rena turned to her Master, seeing the grim expression on his face. Emmett had his game face on and she was set to have hers. She looked off into the distance, seeing the artillery pieces light up the horizon momentarily. Rena quickly thought of the Waltemeyers, knowing that they would worry for her. _It's showtime now_, she thought, gearing herself mentally for the battle ahead.


End file.
